Where the Heart Lies
by twilit angel
Summary: Viola Emrys was born with a strange pentagram birthmark resting directly over her heart. One Halloween night she ends up in front of her ancestor during the Victorian Era, Sebastian Emyrs, to find out he bears the same mark and she is his reincarnation. How can that be? And how is it connected to Ciel Phantomhive's butler, Sebastian Michealis? Full summary inside.
1. How it All Started

_**Summary: Viola Emrys was born with a strange pentagram birthmark resting directly over her heart. She was always told her ancestor during the Victorian era, Sebastian Emyrs, was born with the same exact mark. After touching his portrait one Halloween night, she appears in front of him to later find out lshe is actually his reincarnation. Why is it they were born with the same mark? And what does it have to do with that strange butler of Earl Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michealis?**_

Chapter 1: How it all started

_My name is Viola Emyrs and I got sucked into Victorian London through my ancestor's portrait._

Viola stared at the words she had written down in the moleskin journal, watching the ink from her stolen fountain pen dry. She couldn't believe she just wrote those words inside a journal. She originally meant to keep this journal as a sort of memento that she wasn't going crazy or having a hallucination. But she ended up starting with those introductory words. She didn't know she was writing that sentence until now.

Now, she was no writer herself (barely passing written exams in English) but being an avid reader she realized these words weren't enough to give information to the reader (whomever may find this journal in the future). Gazing around the dirty alley she had taken refuge in, then to Bastian curled up beside her in order to preserve warmth, she put the pen to the paper. Time to start elaborating.

_To put it bluntly and a bit cliché it all started that night in the year 2011..._

* * *

"Take this, bastard!" Viola shouted, punching Brian in the face. He fell to the grass on his back, blood pouring from his split lip. She grinned darkly as she cracked her knuckles. "You mess with Lissa again and I'll mess up more than your pretty face!"

A crowd of teenagers had formed around the two in the middle of the field in the park. Most of them were cheering Viola on while few were watching in amusement and anger.

"What's wrong with you? I didn't do anything to her!" Brian shouted, glaring at the girl. He flinched when she placed her foot on top of his chest.

Viola returned the glare. "Excuse me? Would you like to repeat that? You didn't do anything to her?"

"No, I didn't!"

"Then what the hell was that little display at Veronica's party, hm? You were practically molesting her in a bedroom!"

"Did you ever think she wanted it?"

"What did you say?" She pressed her foot harder on his chest. He cried out, barely able to breathe. "What piece of crap could possibly want _you_ willingly? If I ever see you touch her again I swear I'll-"

"Vivi, stop it!" Melissa Malone exclaimed, alarmed. She rushed to Viola to pull her back from Brian. Viola protested and struggled to get back to Brian. Still, Melissa restrained her arms with all her might regardless of her friend's monstrous strength. "Stop it! He's not worth it!"

"He tried to rape you, Melissa! He's dead when I get my hands on him!" she threatened.

Brian winced as some of his own friends got him back to his feet. They hovered in front of him as a sort of human shield against the girl everyone knew as a demon of justice. Brian hid back almost afraid of Viola and what she would do to him.

"He was drunk! I was drunk! Will you please calm down already? You're going to get us in trouble!"

"Melissa's right," said Arthur, coming up beside them. His stormy green eyes looked at Viola knowingly. "What'll happen if your mother finds out you got into a fight again?"

Viola scowled. She hated it when he brought up her mother. She stopped struggling yet still sent a glare at Brian.

"Tch. Fine. Get him out of her before I change my mind," she warned the other group.

Brian's group took the hint. They scrambled out of the park before she actually did change her mind. It wasn't often she would let people go from their punishments.

The remaining group of three teenagers all laughed.

"Man, did you see his face? It looked like he was about to piss himself!" Riley chortled.

"I would be, too, if I was facing Vivi," Rebecca said, her lips forming a half-smile. She threw an arm over Viola's shoulder. "After all, Viola the demon of justice doesn't often let her prey go from their punishments. I'm surprised she did let him go with nothing but a split lip."

"But, really, Vi, you should tone down on the violence," Sid scolded disapprovingly. "It's not really lady-like to beat up other people."

"You sound like my mother," said Viola.

"She's got the right idea. You're not exactly like a girl," Arthur agreed. "After all, you're an Emyrs. You can't go off picking fights all the time."

Viola sighed. Of course he would play that card. She folded her arms like a petulant child and nodded. "Fine. I'll try not to pick any more fights. But it's technically not a fight if they throw the first punch, is it?"

"If you're the one who encouraged them to throw it, then it's picking a fight," Melissa said.

"Ah, man."

"As much as I love watching Viola get into a fight, I think we should start planning," Riley reminded them.

They all more or less agreed. They walked over to one of the picnic benches to start discussing their plans for that evening.

The main reason they had come to the park in the first place was to discuss their plans for that night. They got sidetracked when Viola saw Brian at the park as well and decided to get her revenge for what he tried to so to Melissa. Seeing how it was Halloween that day and they were considered too old to be trick-or-treating, the group of friends had been preparing their own thing. They had all decided to go spend the night in one of the abandoned manors just outside of town. There were two manors on the outskirts of London that were supposedly haunted. The one they were going to was said to have belonged to Viola's ancestors a long time ago.

Viola came from a long line of nobles, the Emyrs. They were like any other blueblood family with the sons becoming knights or being in service to the royal family with a noble line dating back centuries. They all used to reside in the Emyrs estate just outside of London. Viola learned that the estate was abandoned sometime during World War II due to the Blitzkrieg. Her family never moved back in.

"Why do people think it's haunted?" Rebecca asked once Viola explained why the manor was abandoned.

"The locals who live around the manor say its because of one of my ancestors," she said, munching on an ice cream bar she bought nearby. "One of my ancestors from the Victorian Era was said to have run away. No one knows why he ran away, but he ended up disgracing the family. He was engaged to another noble's daughter and it brought dishonor to the family when he ran. His mother, grieved to have lost her son, ended up committing suicide in the ballroom. A few years later the daughter in the family was said to have been assassinated by one of the current country's competitors in the diamond mining business. With all that grief in the house the locals say after the manor was abandoned they could hear the wails of a heartbroken mother throughout the night and a bloodied girl walking past the front windows."

"Ooh, scary! This is going to be so much fun!"

"I don't know. What if we get in trouble sneaking in?" Sid asked uncertainly.

"Don't worry. I know someone who lives near the manor," answered Arthur. "They said since the estate technically belongs to the Emyrs family still it's completely abandoned. No one really owns it."

"Well, not if Viola wants to move in after. After all, she loves big houses," Riley said, snickering.

He was silenced when Viola punched his shoulder.

"Shut up! Don't even joke. You know how much I hate big places."

"Yeah, leave her alone. Big houses are creepy at night," Melissa agreed.

"They wouldn't be creepy if she got over her fear," Rebecca retorted.

"That's not up for discussion. Anyway," Viola said in an attempt to change the subject, "so the plan is we're going to spend the entire night in the mansion?"

"Yeah. We're going to find a bedroom and camp out in there."

"And," Riley added excitedly, "we're going to have a little scavenger hunt. So make sure everyone brings their own flashlight and batteries."

"A scavenger hunt? Sounds fun."

"What's the prize?" Melissa wondered.

Arthur, the one who came up with the idea, smirked. "The prize is a whole box of the Phantomhive chocolate truffles."

They all gasped. It was unanimously their favorite chocolate they all shared. The Phantomhive chocolates were one of the best and expensive chocolate in all of England. If one of them had bought a chocolate bar (the least expensive of the products offered), they would literally fight to have a piece. To have a whole box of truffles to themselves...!

"Oh, I'm going to win that," Riley proclaimed confidently.

"Not if I win it first," Rebecca responded in kind.

The teenagers all grinned at one another. They thought Halloween would be ruined since they were too old for trick-or-treating. Now that they could move onto scarier stuff, they were excited to spend the night in a real haunted house. Not one filled with fake horror and various attractions-one that was actually haunted with ghosts. They were going to have fun tonight.

* * *

"Vivi-nee, look! Look!"

Viola looked up from where she sat on her bed, getting ready for the night. From her spot on her bed, she could see Arisu standing at her door. She was already dressed in her costume, which was supposed to be Alice in Wonderland. She spun in a circle, letting the blue dress twirl around in a perfect circle.

"Isn't my dress pretty?" Arisu asked, giggling.

"Aw, aren't you adorable?" Viola cooed at her little sister. She walked over to her to pick up the six year old. "Look at my little Arisu! All you need is a bunny to chase and you're off to Wonderland."

"I already have a bunny to chase. Ken-nii is going to be my White Rabbit." She snuggled her face into the crook of her neck. Viola resisted the urge to sneeze when the white ribbon on her head tickled her nose. "Nee-chan, why can't you come trick-or-treating with us? We'd get lotsa candy."

She set her down to rub the top of her head, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, little one. I promised my friends we'd do something tonight."

"But...But I wanna spend time with Nee-chan."

"I know. Hey, how's about we watch a movie before I go? We can watch your favorite movie."

Arisu brightened up. "Really?"

She nodded.

"Yay! I'll go get it!" She ran out of the room with her dress swishing as she did so. Viola could hear her little feet run around the house to where their playroom was. She couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as she walked out of her room to follow her. She was so adorable!

"So you're really not going with us?"

Viola tilted her head towards the slightly high voice from down the hall. She covered her mouth with her hand when she saw Ken leaning against an open doorway.

"Oh, gosh! Is that your costume?" she snickered, taking in the sight of her stepbrother wearing a red waistcoat and black slacks. Bunny ears and a fluffy tail were his accessories.

Ken flushed. "It's your fault! You should have never played that silly otome game! Otherwise, she wouldn't be obsessed with Peter White!"

"Aw, but Peter White is my favorite character!" Viola launched herself at him. Ken had no time to dodge as they both tumbled to the ground with Viola on top. She squeezed him tightly. "Just look at my little white rabbit! He's so adorable tonight!"

"Get off me, Nee-chan! Quit touching me!"

"But Ken, you're so huggable."

"That's not even a word! Let go already!"

"I don't wanna."

"Nee-chan, Nii-chan, what're you doing?" Arisu asked, coming back out into the hallway. Her head was tilted at he display of her older sister hugging her older brother on the ground. She also took in Ken's flushed face.

"Oh, nothing, Ari. I'm just hugging Mr. White and teaching him to always hug Arisu," Viola said, grinning.

"Oh. Can I have a hug?"

"Of course you can!" She got off Ken and picked up Arisu. Arisu squealed with delight when Viola pressed her face against her collarbone and blew on it to make a funny sound. "Arisu can have as many hugs as she wants. Do you know why?"

"Because Arisu is cute?"

"Yes, because Arisu is adorable!"

Ken got off the floor and sighed at the display of his two sisters hugging one another. "You're spoiling her too much, I swear."

Both girls stuck their tongues out at him. Viola was the first to actually do so and Arisu copied her without knowing what it meant.

"You're just jealous Ari is cuter than a rabbit," Viola stated. She turned on her heel to carry Arisu down the long hallway to their playroom. Ken followed behind her. "Speaking of rabbits, why do you have your costume on already? It's not even dark yet."

"We're leaving when Mother comes home from work. She's on her way now."

"This early?" Viola couldn't believe it. Her mother was actually coming home from work early? Her mother, Samantha Sohma, worked as a lawyer who owned a law firm. Her work hours were irregular; she never got home until late at night. They barely saw one another in the daytime.

"She doesn't want Arisu trick-or-treating out so late," Ken explained with a shrug.

"Yet she allows me to stay out past midnight. How's that logic for ya?"

She shook her head and turned to an open doorway. The three entered a large parlor that had been converted into a playroom for the three kids. There were fluffy couches against the walls of the room and one couch in front of a large TV hanging on a wall. Here and there were stuffed toys and dolls from Arisu's toy chest located in the corner of the room. Despite all the latest technology with all sorts of game consoles, there were elements of tasteful decor from the oriental rug to the grandfather clock next to bookshelf full of DVDs and video games. It was the perfect blend of traditional and modern decoration-fit for the Victorian home they lived in.

Viola placed Arisu down to the ground. She rushed over to the bookshelf to pick out a DVD to pop into the DVD player next to the LCD TV. Viola and Ken settled themselves on the couch.

"Why aren't you trick-or-treating with us?" Ken asked.

"My friends and I wanted to do something different for this year's Halloween since we're too old for trick-or-treating," she answered. She grabbed the remote to turn on the TV for Arisu in time for a colorful image to pop up on screen. The animated world of Madeline the movie came on with the narrator and his rhymes. Arisu was glued to the TV sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

"What are you guys doing?"

"We're going to a haunted house."

"You mean those fake horror houses?"

She scoffed. "Please. You know I prefer real horror. We're going to a real haunted house. You know my mom's family manor? We're spending the night there."

Ken stared at her in astonishment. He knew about the old manors outside of London; one of which was his stepmother's family manor. The kids in school knew about the rumors of the old cursed Emyrs manor. It was one of two haunted manors no one dared to go near. Why was his stepsister going to such a place even if it did belong to her family?

"You're mad," he decided. Viola was the type to go towards danger rather than go away from it. "Mum is going to kill you if she ever finds out you went there."

"And Mom's not going to find out," she said. She gave him a meaningful look. "If you do tell her, I'm going to tell a certain someone about your feelings."

Ken gasped in horror. "You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?"

And the worst part about that was she was serious. He knew that if he wronged her somehow she would pay it back tenfold. Even he wasn't stupid enough to deal with someone nicknamed a demon.

"Alright, fine! I won't tell Mum!"

She grinned, leaning back in the couch. "Glad we understand one another, Peter White."

"I hate it when you do that."

"But you still love me! After all," she leaned over to pull Ken back into a hug. Being so small, he was pulled into her lap where she snuggled into his black hair, "you're my little brother. You can't help but love me. You're way too adorable for me to hate."

"Not all little brothers love their siblings," he muttered darkly. "Sasuke and Inuyasha hate their older brothers."

"That's because their older brothers are a-holes. I've never tried to kill you."

"There were times you almost killed me."

"On accident!"

"What are you two talking about?" Arisu asked, turning to stare at her siblings. They were talking enough for her to not hear the movie as much.

"Nothing, Ari. Aw, poor Madeline," Viola pouted. "She doesn't have a mother and father anymore."

Ken moved himself off of Viola's lap as the two turned back to the movie. He was grateful for this. He loved the fact his sisters could get distracted so easily at a subject change. Thank God women's thoughts always changed. He wasn't certain how he would survive with Viola focused on one thing and one thing alone. She would be scarier that way.

For the next hour the three siblings stayed in their play room watching the movie. Or rather, Arisu was the one watching while Viola was lost in her thoughts thinking about that night and Ken was busy texting his friends on his phone. They stopped when they heard the familiar chime of the bell placed in the room.

"Mama's home!" Arisu exclaimed in glee. She jumped to her feet to run out of the room, the tiny tapping of her feet fading into the manor.

"Fun. Time to go trick-or-treating, Peter White," Viola said, standing up to follow after her. Ken copied her in a huff.

"Stop calling me that," he grumbled.

The two walked through the hallway to where the stairs were. Heading down the stairs, they heard their mother's voice speaking to someone.

"So what are you kids going to be doing tonight?" she was asking.

"We are having a sleepover at Melissa's house, Mrs. Sohma," said a familiar voice. One that made Ken turn red and Viola grin at him. "Don't worry, ma'am. We are not doing anything inappropriate."

"I hope not. But, I trust you, Ciel. You keep that troublesome daughter of mine in line."

Viola made her way down to see her mother standing in the foyer with another boy with dark hair and bright eyes. Arisu was hugging the boy around his leg, staring up at him happily.

"Hey, I'm not that troublesome," she said.

He scoffed. "Yes, because I'm sure you do not draw attention to yourself and bring trouble to you."

"You're so mean, Ciel." She walked over to Ciel and slung an arm over his shoulders. This was easily done considering Ciel was about her height. "I'm older than you so I'm the one setting a good example for you. What's the harm in that?"

"Getting into fights is not a proper example a role model should be teaching."

"Ouch! That hurts, Patchy."

"Sometimes, I believe Ciel is the one setting examples for you, Viola," Samantha said, smiling.

"Mom! You're supposed to be on my side."

"Sorry, sweetie, but Ciel is a good example for you to follow."

"You see what you've done? You've brainwashed my mom to turn against her own daughter," Viola mock sobbed. She buried her face onto his shoulder. "No one loves me! My life is over! I'll have to die my hair black and write angsty poetry for the rest of my teenaged life! Oh, woe is me!"

Ciel shoved her off of him as Samantha laughed.

"I thought Rebecca was the actress?" he asked.

"I'm kind of an actress. I like being in a lot of plays," she laughed, smiling brightly at him.

He snorted, folding his arms. "Funny. Says the girl named after a Shakespeare character."

"Okay, ouch. Blame my mother on naming me. If I could name myself, I would have called myself Florence or Elizabeth."

Samantha shook her head at the two teen's interactions. She knew that behind Ciel's cold remarks the two were sharing friendly banter. With her daughter anything was friendly banter. "Okay, you two. Shouldn't you be heading over to Melissa's house? There will be a lot of people on the streets today."

"Yes, we should be getting to her house before it gets completely dark," Ciel suggested, glancing at his wrist watch. "Do you have your things ready, Viola?"

"Yup! Got everything right here," Viola said, patting her messenger bag faithfully. She bent down to kiss Arisu on the cheek. "Have fun trick-or-treating."

She bobbed her head with a huge smile on her face.

"I promise to get lotsa candy just for you, Nee-chan!"

"Okay." She waved at Ken, who was hiding slightly behind their mother with his head down. "Later, Peter White! Don't try to be a stalker for some poor unsuspecting girl!"

"N-Nee-chan!" Ken sputtered. He lifted his head to glare at her but his eyes shifted over to Ciel. Ciel was staring at him as well. They held their gaze for a moment before Ken sucked his head. "B-Bye, Ciel-kun."

"Kenichi," he replied, nodding. He turned back to Samantha much to Ken's disappointment. "Good night, Mrs. Sohma."

Viola grinned at the exchange. She really loved watching Ken and Ciel when they were in the same room together. Ken's reactions were the most adorable and hilarious. She finally kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Night, Mom!"

"Night, Vivi. Have fun!"

With that Viola gave one last wave to her mother and siblings before heading out into the night.

Viola and Ciel began to make their way towards the park where they were supposed to be meeting everyone. The streets of London were already filling with families who were trick-or-treating for the long night ahead. Despite the sun setting just a few minutes prior, people were already starting to knock on people's door for the candy hunt.

Viola was talking to Ciel about his previous costumes in the past. She always teased him that he was a pirate every single day because of the eye patch. Strangely enough, it was the eye patch that brought them together as friends.

Ciel was a good two years younger than her at the age of fifteen, yet he was smart enough to be a senior in high school. On his very first day some idiots from their class started bullying him for being so girly, smart and small. They were especially mean because of the eye patch. Viola, being the kind person she was, promptly drop kicked those boys' butts to leave Ciel alone. Ever since then, Viola and her friends immediately adopted the boy into their tight knit group.

He was the logical and manipulative one in the group. He knew what to say when Viola gets in trouble with authority claiming her negligence to certain things. His silver tongue was what got her out of most punishments solely for the fact HE would issue a punishment himself that would be twice as effective. No matter how much she denied it Ciel was a good influence on her. He was her conscience when she loses herself to her fury.

_And I'm a good influence on him,_ she thought with a smile. Were it not for their friendship Ciel would be a complete loner at school. During times when Ciel is separated from their group of friends, she was told by others he tends to avoid other people. It wasn't as if he was shy-far from it! Ciel wasn't, simply put, a people person. He preferred his privacy when he wasn't with his friends. So the fact she was able to get him to hang out with them was a miracle. _I wouldn't have it any other way. Ciel's my friend._

"What are you smiling about?" asked Ciel suspiciously. She had a dreamy smile on her face. It was quite discerning as that either meant two things.

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking about how we met," she answered. She giggled. "Isn't it funny? We're friends because people decided to make fun of your eye patch."

"I regret that day I wore that blasted thing," he sighed.

"Come on, Patchy! It's not that bad. It's how we got to meet. Still..." She eyed his face, eye patch free to allow two beautiful blue orbs peer at her open to the world to behold. "I prefer you wearing that contact of your's. looks way better than you hiding your eye behind an eye patch. It's too bad you had to miss the meeting because you had to replace your contact set."

"Don't remind me. I honestly do not know what Riley was thinking when he threw them into the pool."

Viola winced. Yeah, that obviously was not the best idea for Ciel to keep his eye contact set in a place where a drunken Riley could reach it. Ciel had to wear his eye patch for three whole days because of it, much to his irritation.

"So what did your cousin say when he found out?"

He thought for a moment. "He was...amused. He was annoyed we had to get it replaced, but the reason why I had to replace it amused him the most."

The two were a few blocks away from the park. They stopped at the crosswalk at an intersection to wait for the signal to cross.

"So he wasn't mad at all?" Viola pressed.

He shook his head. She couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"That's good. I was worried he would threaten to withhold the sweets he bakes for you."

"You mean the sweets he bakes for _you_," he corrected with a scoff. "You are worried should I be grounded he would stop baking me sweets I give to you."

"Yeah, pretty much. Can you blame me? Your cousin's sweets are to die for!" she exclaimed. Ciel lived with his cousin who made a living as a pastry chef. He tended to make some cakes and other treats for Ciel. However, his cousin tends to make too much so he gives most of the sweets to his friends; mainly Viola as she fell in love with the pastries baked. She grinned, seeing the signal to cross blink on. "You know how it is. I'm going to marry your cousin some day since I'm already in love with the food he bakes. And you know what they say: food is the first step towards a person's heart."

"I thought that applied toward men?" Ciel asked, amused, as they began to cross the street.

"No, that's just sexist. Have you seen how much I love food?"

"And yet you cannot eat a large help-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of screeching tires filled the air.

The screech of tires ripped through the night air and the sound of a scream from someone. The asphalt practically smoked in the air from the harsh sudden brake of a car skidding across it.

Viola stood in the middle of the cross walk, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Oh, well, it was a pretty close analogy. She was technically a deer when faced with the headlights barely skimming her hips. She clutched at her chest. The headlights barely bumped her as the car had screeched to a complete halt an inch away from her body.

_Oh, my freaking God!_ she thought, gasping. She could think no other thought besides saying God's name repeatedly in her head in a chant. _Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, GOD!_

Her ears rang with various sounds ranging from people talking loudly to the snapping of cameras on phones. One voice in particular appeared above the rest.

"Miss! Miss, can you hear me?" said a deep, sensual voice.

Viola managed to stop panicking long enough to feel someone shaking her shoulders. Flicking her eyes up, they widened to see a remarkably handsome man leaning over her. From what she could see in the bright headlights still blaring blindly at her, the man had short black hair barely touching his shoulders and deep brown eyes that looked red. He was dressed in all black yet she couldn't help but note his jeans were hugging his legs in an appealing way. The man's red eyes were staring down at her in concern with his hand on her shoulder. It was at that moment she realized he wasn't shaking her-she was. She was sitting on the concrete, shaking like a leaf.

Seeing he had Viola's attention back, he spoke.

"Please, forgive me. I wasn't paying attention to the stoplights. Are you alright?" he asked, scanning her for any injuries.

"Of course she's not alright!" Ciel shouted. He glared at the man, slapping his hand away. The man pulled back his hand, amused. He ignored the man to help Viola up as she was still in a daze. "You almost bloody ran her over, you twit! Next time, watch where you're going!"

"Oh? Do you expect her to get run over in the near future?" the man asked, his lip twitching upward.

"No! No, I'm not," Viola exclaimed, finally snapping out of her daze. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She managed a smile, which the man returned. "Look, no harm, no foul. But, please watch out where you're going next time. If I was actually injured, my mom would sue the pants off of you."

He chuckled. "If it were anyone but me, you most likely wouldn't have a next time. May I be so bold as to ask you for your name? For insurance reasons."

"Ah, Viola Emrys. And you are...?"

"Sebastian-"

"If you two are done flirting," Ciel interrupted, irritated, "we must be going."

He nodded at the man, Sebastian, ruefully and began to push Viola to the other side of the sidewalk. Apparently, they had been holding up traffic what with all the cars that had stopped when they all witnessed in fading light a girl about to be hit by a car. It was then Viola noticed the amount of people staring. A few had even recorded what happened!

Ciel was muttering darkly under his breath. Viola could catch a few words that sounded a bit like 'buffoon' and 'reckless'. He did not stop pushing her once they were well past the crosswalk.

"C-Ciel, you can stop pushing me now," Viola said as soon as they were far from the crosswalk.

He finally seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped. His scowl was still present on his face. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was doing that."

"It's fine. Though, you should really calm down. It wasn't that big a deal."

"Not that big a deal? You could have died if that man didn't stop when he did!"

"But I didn't. Lighten up. I'm not dead or injured in any way. Let it go."

He scowled, but did not comment further.

The two soon made their way to the park Viola and company were at earlier that. Already, they could see their friends gathered, waiting on them.

"Whoa, Vi! What happened?" Rebecca gasped.

Viola looked at her, confused. She, then, pointed to Viola's palms that were faced out in view. Viola lifted up her hands to see the palms of her hands were scratched up and bleeding slightly. Strange. She didn't realize they were bleeding.

"Oh. I almost got ran over by a car. No big deal," Viola said, shrugging. Their slack expressions spoke otherwise.

"Run over by a car? How is that not a big deal?" Melissa exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Well, I guess it is. But the guy who almost ran me over was pretty hot," Viola admitted, grinning.

The boys all rolled their eyes.

"Of course. Viola wouldn't really care who almost runs her over with a car as long as they are good looking," Riley said, shaking his head.

"When you say it like that you make it sound like a bad thing."

"Yeah, you should know Viola by now," Melissa giggled. "She loves guys with pretty faces. It's her one weakness."

"Isn't that the truth?" Sid said, snorting. "Once she sees a guy she thinks is hot she falls head-over-heels for him."

"What the heck is this? Pick on Viola day?" Viola complained. "And just so you know, I don't fall head over heels for _any_ hot guy."

"Yeah, that's why you're marrying Ciel's faceless cousin," Melissa giggled. It was no secret of Viola's proclamation of marrying a man based on the love she had for his sweets.

"Whom I still say you should never meet," Ciel added with a huff.

"Besides, you shouldn't marry a person for a reason like that," Arthur agreed. "What if he turns out to be someone you hate?"

"Depends. If he does turn out to be someone I hate, I'll stay away from him."

"And if he is handsome and you do like him?"

"I don't think I could stay away from him. I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off him."

The girls broke into giggles while the boys rolled their eyes. Girls.

"As much as I like teasing Viola," Ciel drawled, shaking his head at the childishness of his friends, "we should get going towards the Emyrs mansion before we lose our way through the dark. We could possibly get lost on our way there."

"Speaking of losing our way, how are we getting there?" Viola asked.

"My cousin's going to give us a ride," Riley answered. He nodded at a white van by the curb of the park where a man a little older than them was waiting. The man did look a bit like Riley but much like an older, more laid-back version of him. "He knows the way to the mansion. Checked out the route for us to get in."

"So, anyone ready to chicken out? This _is_ the Emyrs mansion we're talking about," Arthur asked, sweeping his eyes to his friends.

"One of the most haunted mansions in the London countryside," Rebecca singsonged, trying to sound like the announcer on the Twilight Zone. "The manor where two tragic souls lay in wait in eternal suffering. Who knows what horrors or secrets wait to be uncovered? Are we to find the heartbroken mother waiting for the return of her lost child? Or the bloodied sister lying in wait for REVENGE!?"

She suddenly latched onto the arm of the nearest person, which turned out to be Sid. He jumped at her yell.

"Becca, knock it off! You're freaking me out," Sid protested. He wiggled his arm out of her reach as she laughed.

"Bein' a scaredy cat, Sid? It's not like any of that stuff's true."

"That's what you say," Ciel mysteriously said. All of them fell quiet at his serious tone. He gazed at his much older friends with a stern expression much like he does when he tries to talk them out of doing something illegal. "The Emyrs mansion is not child's play. People have gotten hurt simply by staying a night within its walls."

"You're making that up," Riley scoffed.

"Am I? Do you remember the news article where a couple were in the middle of a storm and were forced to reside in the manor before they could get into an accident?"

"I remember that one. It said they were on their way to London when the storm blocked off the road," said Melissa, frowning. "From what I read they were found the next morning outside the estate gates. The man was covered in blood while the woman..."

She trailed off, visibly shuddering.

"The woman was found next to the man with her organs resting next to her while her limbs looked as if they were bitten into," Ciel finished. "Of course, she was dead. The man, half-crazed, told the police a woman had offered them shelter for the night in the manor. The odd thing, he managed to say, was how she was covered in blood from head to toe. The bloodied woman bit into her, the man said. She killed my wife! She _ate_ my wife! Thinking these words were that of a mad man, Scotland Yard investigated the manor. They found the woman's blood soaking one of the rooms, but there was no bloodied woman. The man was arrested for murdering his wife and sent to an asylum. As for the bloodied woman, they found no evidence of such a person living in the estate."

A stunned silence followed his ending. The teens each stared at one another, wide-eyed. After a moment, Viola burst out laughing. The rest flinched at the laugh.

"Wow, Ciel. You're really in the Halloween sprit, aren't you?" Viola chortled. She wiped a tear from her eye, grinning. "I thought you hated childish stories. That sounded like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story."

He shrugged. "I could have come up with worse. I could have told the story about the demon residing in the ruins of the Phantomhive manor."

"What, you mean the one where the rotting corpse of a girl was found inside with no evidence of a struggle or cause of death? One of the many mysteries of the manors, I guess."

"Perhaps," Ciel chuckled ominously.

"You two," Rebecca started, dumbfounded,"are horrible. Was that story even true?"

"One hundred percent."

"Then, why are you laughing about it?"

"Spooky stuff like that happens all the time," Viola answered. "It's one of the mysteries of the world. Plus, I watch ghost hunting shows all the time in the dark by myself. It would be awesome to see an actual ghost."

"Be careful what you wish for, Vi. Who knows what could happen with that thing on your chest," Arthur warned, teasingly. He poked at Viola's chest.

She rolled her eyes and slapped the hand away.

"Not even. The day I believe that demons exist is the day Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock isn't hot."

"Benedict Cumberbatch _is _pretty handsome," Melissa sighed.

"See? My thoughts exactly. My birthmark has nothing to do with demons because they don't exist. Ghosts, on the other hand, do."

"But, I thought demons existed because of ghosts? Or at least connected to them?" Sid asked, confused.

"Who knows? Maybe demons do exist," Ciel observed with a smirk. "Now, are we going to stand here all night or are we going to get going?"

"Yes, we are."

The group of teenagers gathered their things and began to head for the car ready to take them to their choice of fun for Halloween night. One had no idea of the danger and life changing event about to occur while another simply stayed silent of the danger the first was about to encounter.

**Hello! Welcome to my new story _Where the Heart Lies!_ A story brought to you by annoying ideas stuck in my head! Though, really, I'm starting this story because since the moment I started reading _Kuroshitsuji_ last year this story created itself, stuck itself in my mind, and refused me the creativity to write my other stories. And, fair warning, I'm not really going to be updating weekly. I'll be updating this as it comes and goes. I'm also using this story as a chance to warm up my creative thoughts in order to write my other stories. I learned in my English class that if we write something as a warm-up before we do our work it lets us write more freely. So, when I write for this story it's more of a warm up to write my other stories and my essays (God, I hate writing essays now). It kind of helps I have pieces of this story already written.**

**Don't really care if you review, but it would be nice to see how my writing style is. So, review if you're able!**


	2. The Abandoned Manor

Chapter 2

When Viola agreed to spend a night at the haunted manor of her family she was expecting a lot more.

They arrived on the road that would lead them to the Emyrs manor. Riley's cousin stopped the car on the side of the main road that lead to the freeway. Where they stopped the group of teen could see he stopped in front of a dirt road leading to a rusty gate with the coat of arms of the Emyrs family: two griffins supporting a shield and swords. The shield itself had a withered tree on it.

"Well, here we are," Riley's cousin, Fred, said. He nodded his head at his cousin. "Can't take you any farther than this, I'm afraid."

"Don't tell me you believe in the stories of this place, too?" Riley asked, exasperated.

"Those are stories for a reason, Riles. The Emyrs family aren't to be trifled with."

"Which is why I'm glad I'm not a part of it," Viola piped in. Being the nearest to the door, she slid it open and jumped out.

Everyone else piled out of the man, stretching their limbs. It was a short ride but piling eight grown teenagers into a six person van was not a pleasant experience. Viola stared up at the large, rusted gate. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a flashlight. The sun set some time ago, so it was nearly impossible to see. She shone the beam of light at the gate. She wasn't sure why, but she was getting a really bad feeling.

"So," Rebecca said, coming over to stand next to Viola. Her hands were in her pockets to protect what little warmth she had from the cold breeze fluttering at their cheeks, "how come you and your family aren't a part of the Emyrs family anymore? Didn't you say your dad married into the family?"

"It's complicated," Viola replied. She tried not to say the real reason why she and her mother weren't a part of the family anymore. She shrugged to make it seem like it didn't bother her when it did. "You know how stuffy nobles get. They don't like black sheep in the family."

Rebecca's eyes flashed in understanding.

"Oh. Right. That."

"Yes. _That."_

Viola didn't particularly like talking about the reason why she wasn't a part of the Emyrs family anymore. It was a sore subject between her and her mother they decided to never bring up ever again especially after her father died. Whenever it was brought up it normally left them in a bad mood. In order to stop being in a terrible mood on a fun night like this, Viola grinned in excitement.

"Alright! Who's ready to go hunting?" she exclaimed, waving her flashlight wildly.

"I am!" Riley cried out.

He was the only one to as everyone else muttered their responses. The moment they saw the creepy manor they were starting to have second thoughts about it. Behind the gate, off in the distance, they could see the ruined building beneath the dark sky. Everyone walked up to the gate while Riley's cousin pull away from the shoulder of the road to drive off, promising he would be back in the morning. Then, they were truly alone. Ciel walked up to the gate and grabbed the large lock chaining their entryway.

"How are we to get in?" he asked, fingering the large padlock and the chains that it kept together.

The rest slowly turned towards Viola eyeing the lock. When noticing their stares she rolled her eyes.

"Alright! Jeez, I'm going." She walked up to the gate next to Ciel. Setting down her bag, she opened it and rifled through her various things she thought to bring. She soon brought out two thing objects. She turned towards the lock and inserted the objects one at a time into the keyhole, muttering to herself as she moved them with little difficulty. After a minute, there was a definite click. The lock opened and fell the ground.

"You people are so lucky I got bored and learned how to pick locks," Viola said, both annoyed and proud of herself.

"I still find it amazing you learned how to lockpick," Arthur said.

"I told you. I get bored."

"So you were bored enough to learn how to break into people's homes?" Melissa asked, skeptical.

"Or to help break myself out."

All of their eyes widened. Just as quickly they glanced away uncomfortably; all except Ciel.

"Ah. That's right. You learned how to lockpick to escape in case you get kidnapped again," he said, nodding in understanding.

"C-Ciel! Don't say that. That isn't nice," Melissa scolded.

"No, Lissa. It's fine. Ciel's just being honest." Viola waved it off. She smiled. "He's only telling the truth. It's completely fine. You know Ciel is. He prefers the brutal honesty than sweetened lies."

"Of course you would use sweet in your comparisons. I'm surprised you don't have a rotting tooth in your mouth," Rebecca laughed, trying to ease the tension.

"So, are we going to stand here all night or what?" Arthur said to get their attention back on track.

"Alright, already. It's like you want to go to the scary manor tonight, Artie," Riley muttered.

He smirked. "It's Halloween. Am I not allowed to have fun?"

"Your fun is pretty twisted compared to what we think is fun," Viola retorted back. She paused. "Well, then again, so is Patchy's. His fun is more cruel than your's."

"And I'm proud of it," Ciel huffed.

They all began to laugh. It was hard to ever be left in tension with one another. There may be moments where they would hit an uncomfortable subject, but it was easy to dismiss it.

After the uncomfortable silence dissipated, the group passed through the gates. They walked up the graveled driveway that led to the stately manor looming in the dark. It was hard to see the manor because of the moon was entering its new phase. It was as if the moon itself was afraid to gaze upon the abandoned manor. With their flashlights to light the way they approached the manor until they were finally standing in front of the fine double doors. Several of them shone their lights at the door. Viola noticed that once upon a time the manor must have been quite beautiful. With a large courtyard with a small pond in the center it must have been the finest London had ever seen. But, the bushes on both sides of the building were overgrown with weeds patched up wildly as far as anyone could see and the pond a murky green. The building itself was about two stories styled in the typical Victorian architecture with a combination of columns and medieval arches. Vines wrapped around the walls as if to ensnare it from the bottom up.

Arthur approached the door. Laying a hand on the tarnished doorknob, his thumb pressed against the mechanism and opened it. The hinges creaked in protest after years of disuse while dust assaulted the air. All of them wrinkled their noses in disgust as the musty smell of a house uninhabited invaded their lungs. They stepped into the foyer room.

Entering the room, they weren't surprised to see it was as big and magnificent as the ones in the movies. However, a thick film of dust covered the once glossy floor turning it an ugly shade of grey. Even as they took their steps into the center of the room the annoying particles kicked up into the air at their heels. They were wary to set down their things, but did it anyway.

"Now that we're here, what now?" Riley asked.

"Now," Arthur rifled through his bag. He pulled out a small notebook and smirked, "we start the scavenger hunt."

"Alright!"

"This'll be fun."

"So, how's this gonna work, boss man?" Viola asked with a grin.

His eye twitched at the nickname but did not reply. He flipped open the notebook.

"The way this is going to work is each of us will look for an item from somewhere within the manor. Once we find the object we are looking for, we come back here. Whoever finds their object and brings it back here first wins the chocolate. I already chose what each of us are going to find. Riley, you're to find a hand mirror. Melissa, you're finding the family's favorite tea set, which is supposed to be a blue-ish color. Sid, you're looking for a top hat most used by the count. Rebecca, a rare tea the family have in here. Ciel, a jeweled hair pin that's the favorite of the Countess. I'm going to look for the family ring supposedly left behind during the evacuation."

"What about me?" Viola asked. The rest of her friends were either complaining about the objects they were finding or fine with it. Why wasn't she assigned anything?

"Since this is your family's home, you're going to look for your ancestor's portrait. You know the ancestor who ran away because of his arranged marriage? Apparently, his mother had commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of him before he disappeared. The portrait still hangs somewhere in the house today."

"There are hundreds of portraits hanging around the house. How am I supposed to know which one you're talking about?"

"From what I heard, your ancestor, Sebastian Emyrs, had blond hair and green eyes like your's. You'll know it when you see it."

Viola frowned. How was she supposed to find a portrait of an ancestor she's never even seen? What did he mean she would know it when she saw it? And this next question bothered her the most.

"You want me to look through this creepy haunted manor for a portrait by myself? _Alone?"_

"Oh, that's right. You're scared of big houses," Sid said in realization.

"You could use this chance to overcome your fear," said Melissa, soothingly.

She shook her head. No. No way. She refused to walk through this creepy manor on her own with its long hallways and paintings staring at her in the darkness.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Arthur suggested.

"No!" she cried. Silence followed. Everyone stared at her outburst with hidden discomfort. After realizing how awkward that sounded, she cleared her throat. "Ah, no. That's fine, Arthur. You don't need to come with me."

"Then are you going to go alone?" Melissa asked, slightly uncomfortable about how Arthur looked hurt for a second. It wasn't like Viola meant to do that. With what recently happened...

"No. I'll go with Ciel."

"Did you bother to ask me if I wanted to accompany you?" Ciel asked, irritated.

"Oh, sorry, Ciel." She took a deep breath and knelt on one knee in front of him with a hand over her heart. Her wide green eyes sparkled mischievously in the dark while she gazed up at him. "Ciel, my dearest companion, will thou accompany thee to venture across this desolate and depraved manor?" Viola grabbed Ciel's hand with a dramatic flourish and held it to her chest. "Willst thou protect and comfort this innocent and virtuous maiden from the darkness of evil? Nay! From the darkness of thy own soul?"

Ciel's eye twitched. "For goodness' sake, Viola. Alright! Fine, I'll come with you."

"Oh, happy day! How joyous my heart leaps! To have such a brave and just knight to guard me from the evils lurking in not the shadows of these halls but of thine heart!"

Viola stopped her dramatic speech as Ciel slapped her upside the head. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Never talk like that again," he said. He shouldered his bag and adjusted the flashlight in his hand before beginning to walk off towards one of the ground floor hallways.

"Wait! Ciel, don't leave without me!" Viola gathered her own things. She nodded at her friends, who were all snickering at her dramatic display. "Well, everyone. Until we meet again! Good luck on finding your things before you get eaten by a bloody ghost."

"Viola! That's not funny," Rebecca laughed.

"Says you!"

With a wave she scurried off into the dark after Ciel.

Luckily for her, Ciel did not venture far into the hallway he had entered. She caught up to him, slowing into a halt beside him. He shined a light over the paintings and portraits on the wall yet spoke to her.

"I don't understand why you can't allow yourself to be alone with Arthur again," he said, flatly.

"It's complicated," she sighed.

"What's complicated about it? I imagined it would be awkward being around one another after you broke up, but I thought you were past it. Weren't you the one who ended it?"

"Yeah, but..." Viola winced. She hated it when this was brought up. The wounds were still too fresh to deal with at the moment.

She and Arthur had dated since the beginning of secondary school three years ago. Before that, they were very good friends. They got along well until Viola ended the relationship a month ago, saying they remain friends. It was awkward for everyone after the break-up but they managed to get back to normal. Still, Viola found it completely awkward when they were alone at times. She didn't hate Arthur-she liked him enough to date him. However, she didn't like knowing she broke his heart.

"Speaking of which, why did you end it?" he wondered aloud. "With the way you two acted around one another I thought you were in love."

"And there's your answer. You thought we were in love but we weren't. At least, I wasn't. Arthur wanted to go further into our relationship by doing...you know because he thought we loved each other. I wasn't ready at all for that because, for some reason, I couldn't find myself in love with him. Once I realized I didn't love him as much as he did with me, I ended it." She sighed loudly, scratching her head. "Stupid teenaged hormones. I want that kid love where all we had to do was hold hands and kiss to prove it. Why does that have to ruin everything."

"Yes, that naive look on the world where everything seemed bright and pure," Ciel hummed. "I shall never understand love. What about it makes everyone sing of its positive outlook when it brings nothing but misfortune? Romeo and Juliet killed themselves because of love. Your ancestor ran because he would never love his fiance. What's so good about it?"

"I have no idea. As much as I want it I'm never falling in love."

"Perhaps one day you will. After all, loving something only makes you human."

"Then, I wish I wasn't human. Actually, scratch that. I wish I didn't have a heart so I don't need to fall in love."

Ciel chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Wishes aren't always what they seem."

Ciel and Viola began to walk through the East wing where the portrait was supposed to be. The beam from Viola's flashlight gleamed in the dark causing shadows to flit over the faces of Viola's family past. The faces became shadowed and made their stern expressions much darker and menacing than they were meant to. Viola kept close to Ciel's side, too afraid to wander off.

"Why are you so afraid of the dark?" Ciel asked, slightly annoyed by how close she was. She was nearly pressing herself against his arm. "You are nearly an adult. The dark shouldn't scare you."

"The dark is scary, alright? We're already in a creepy abandoned mansion."

"Yes, but you can't even walk through Melissa's home without getting me to come with you."

"I don't really know why I'm afraid of the dark. When I was younger I used to have nightmares about being stuck in the dark all alone. It scared me a lot and when I cried out no one would answer."

"You're afraid of the dark because of a silly nightmare?" Ciel smirked, amused.

"It wasn't just a nightmare!" Viola argued.

"Oh? Then what was it?"

She hesitated. She never told anyone the true reason why she was afraid of the dark. It was an irrational fear, yes, but it wasn't just a dream. She knew it had to be more. Eyes sweeping over a tight face of a beautiful woman, she made her decision.

"I'm always stuck in the dark in the nightmare, but I wasn't alone. I don't think I was," she admitted hesitantly. "There would be this...presence there with me and glowing pink eyes. Those eyes would look at me with hunger, like it wanted to eat me. Even if I closed my eyes, I couldn't get away from those eyes. So, if I'm somewhere dark all I can think about those eyes that wants to devour me."

Ciel was silent for a moment. Viola took this time to shiver and curled up next to his side searching through the darkness as if those very eyes she spoke of would appear. She never spoke to those eyes often. Each time she did a sickening fear wrapped her entire body. She hated to even think of those eyes. Finally, he snorted.

"How childish. The darkness holds nothing you should fear."

"H-Hey! The dark can hide things that can harm you. Rapists, kidnappers, murderers..." she listed.

"Have you ever been harmed by those?"

"No..." Now that she thought about it, not even those harmed her the few times she encountered one of the three. It was strange. Why did those pink eyed scare her more than a rapist or a murderer? She should be afraid of those, yet she wasn't. Something was seriously wrong with her.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about," he reassured her.

Viola managed to relax, nodding. Ciel was right. She shouldn't be afraid of something that could be the figment of her imagination. Not for the first time Viola was glad to have Ciel to talk to about this. He was the only one out of their group of friends who told her the logical and often brutally honest explanation other than the softened pity her friends would give her. She loved her friends. They were the kind of people she learned to depend on. When it came down to the things Viola herself was afraid to acknowledge they would walk eggshells around her as if one wrong word they said and she would shatter. Ciel was the only one who tells her the cold, hard truth and gives her the chance to acknowledge her faults and weaknesses. That way she could learn from them.

The two wandered through the hallway passing various wide windows and encountering a few stairs to climb upwards to the second floor. The entire time Viola kept closely to Ciel, peering anxiously at the paintings on the walls as well as shining her light in the surrounding darkness. Ciel's eye twitched each time Viola would grab his arm in a vice-grip at every little creak and scratch of some unknown source. He was calm through the entire walk and ignored Viola and the disgusting cobwebs all around them.

Turning the corner down one of the many halls (Viola lost count of how many they passed), Ciel stopped to look around.

"If I'm looking for a hairpin, it would most likely be in one of these rooms," he thought aloud. "From what I know, most nobles during the early 20th century had their rooms in the upper floors. Viola, stay here while I search these rooms for the hairpin."

"What? You're going to leave me alone? Here? _In the dark?_" Viola squeaked, panicked.

He rolled his eyes. "Only for a moment. I won't take long searching the rooms. You have your flashlight so you will be fine."

"C-Can't I come with you?"

"This is a competition. We're looking for individual objects to win a box of chocolates. I may not like the chocolates themselves, but I do like winning. The only reason I am with you is because you're afraid of the dark. You can either wait here while I search the rooms, or you can go off to find your portrait on your own. What will it be?"

"I'll...I'll stay here." There was no argument there. She wasn't going to go look around this creepy manor on her own. Who knows what could happen to her?

"Good." Satisfied with the answer, Ciel opened one of the numerous doors and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

Viola tried not to panic the moment she knew she was alone in the hallway. Ciel may have been separated by a door, but that didn't make her feel any better. She suddenly became aware of the shadows around her in the darkened corners and the moonless night. She gripped her arms, warily glancing about like a mouse about to flee at the sound of a noise. Ciel may have told her the dark was nothing to fear, but that didn't stop her heart from pounding against her ribcage at the pace of a hummingbird's.

How many times has the dark hidden the various dangers she encountered in the past? How many times during the night she had to force herself to be brave in a foolish attempt to believe everything would be alright? She didn't care what anyone said. She didn't want to believe the dark was really harmless. Many could testify to the night's beauty from songwriters to poets. They would speak of the wondrous light in the darkness and how it had its own beauty normally unseen in the light. Viola wanted to curse them and envied them for that perspective. If only she could see the dark like that, then her life wouldn't be in fear during the day's counterpart.

A loud squeak grabbed Viola's attention. She half-gasped and half-shrieked at the sudden noise. She whipped her flashlight wildly around to locate the source. The beam eventually landed on a door halfway opened just a few feet away. The door continued to squeak as it seemed to sway to the air itself. Was that door always opened? In a brief second her fright melted away for curiosity to grab hold of her. Hm, what could be behind that door? She loved exploring places and this was no exception. She wondered what was there.

Then, remembering Ciel, she glanced at the door he disappeared behind. Viola wanted to go explore the room (only for a minute!) to see what she could find there. Maybe she could find her own item? She figured Ciel would take a long time to find the hairpins since they were rather small to begin with. Besides, it would only could to be a quick look and she wasn't going to go far. Tentatively, she wandered over to the open door.

Viola peeked into the room she was waiting in front of. She shone the flashlight through the room to see a four poster bed pushed against a wall. One of the five windows opposite her was half-opened bringing in the breeze which moved the door. It looked to be someone's bedroom. A very luxurious and elegant bedroom fit for nobles. Once upon a time it was fit for a noble. Now, there was nothing but dust, mold, and cobwebs to show for it. To think this was what happened to her ancestral home. They deserved it. The wooden door creaked open with a loud yawn they sounded eerie to her. Hesitantly, she entered the room. It was a large room she wouldn't have minded living in. There was enough room for the bedroom, a desk, and a couch in front of the fireplace. It would have been homey.

Her nose wrinkled at the stale air. No one has lived her for years. Looking around the room, she noticed that unlike the rest of the house which was falling apart and completely ransacked, this particular room was untouched. Everything looked as it did before the evacuation. Why was that? She also noticed that they were many personal belongings left in there such as books sitting on the desk and a fountain pen on the bedside nightstand. Viola ventured to the center of the room, shining the light on the walls until something caught her eye in front of her. Turning to whatever it was on the wall, her breath hitched.

A large portrait faced her. It was ornate with a gold framing that had dulled over the years. The painting itself was what caught her eye. It was a portrait of a boy about her age. He was dressed in a emerald green suit and tie, the elegant colors bringing out the color of his green eyes. He sat on the very couch in front of the fireplace in a dignified manner, giving him an air of nobility. The room it was much lighter with the sunlight streaming in. He may have not been smiling as most portraits depicted but his eyes said it all. The colors were well used for the painting bringing a warm sense of the boy himself it left her without words. That wasn't what left her speechless. It was his face.

It was identical to her own!

"What the hell?" Viola muttered, stunned. The boy looked like a male version of her during the Victorian times! Instead of her long hair, the boy had his cropped short just above her ears while it looked wavy. Other than that, he had her eyes, her cheekbones, even the natural upward curl on the corners of her lips so it looked like he was smiling all the time. Who was this boy? He looked as if he could be her twin.

_Sebastian Emyrs,_ her brain supplied for her. She realized this must have been who Arthur was talking about. He said he would know the portrait when she saw it. Boy, did she recognize it. The guy had her face and had the blond hair and green eyes Arthur described. She grinned. How lucky! _I'm so going to win this bet. Phantomhive chocolate, here I come!_

Viola eyed the portrait. Now, how was she going to get this down to the foyer? The portrait didn't look very heavy, but she knew looks can be deceiving. She may not be very strong, but she was sure she could at least drag the portrait back. If not, well, the chocolate was going to be worth it. God, those chocolates would be worth anything. Just thinking about them made her drool. She wanted that chocolate.

Her taste buds and yearning deciding for her, Viola reached over to pluck the painting off the wall. She lay her hands against the frame of the painting. Just as she did her palms began to tingle strangely and left them numb.

"Wh-What the...?" Viola gasped. The tingling traveled up her arms and left her nerves numb in their wake and spreading throughout her entire body. Her chest became tight making it hard to breathe. She squeezed her eyes tightly. What was happening? Why did she suddenly feel so light headed? She groaned. Oh, man. She felt like she was on an airplane and was about to become airsick. She wasn't feeling so good.

For a moment the numbing increased to where she had to desperately to fight to keep herself conscious. Then, the next moment the pain and numbing vanished as fast as it came. She gasped sharply for the sweet air she was denied for that moment. Her senses snapped back to attention and she was suddenly aware her fingers were touching something warm and soft compared to the cold hardness of the frame. Then, she heard the voice.

"Wh-Who are you?" said a boy in a mixture of astonishment and fear. There was also the soft and elegant accent of most English natives had but never obtained herself.

She slowly peeked open her eyes. Her breath was taken away once more at the sight of a boy facing directly in front of her where her hands were gripping his shoulders. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh, shit."

She was staring at the very shocked, familiar and frightened expression of one Sebastian Emyrs.

* * *

**Okay, second chapter! Yay! It's shorter than the last chapter but it's starting to get interesting. Thank you for those who reviewed! It's good to know people like this story. Next chapter will start in Sebastian Emyrs' view. Every two chapters I'll switch between Viola and Sebastian. I'm experimenting in different points of views especially when it comes to their language. Viola will have the modern style while I'm working on the sophisticated language Sebastian mostly speaks in. If anything, it will be a good writing experience to write out his style. Let's hope it goes well. Oh, and I won't be writing Sebastian Emrys' name out fully like this for long. That's going to get confusing when they meet Sebastian Michealis.**

**Please review!**


	3. The Boy of the Portrait

Chapter 3

"Mother, I cannot do this!"

Sebastian Lorenzo Emyrs swept into the parlor of his family's exquisite estate declaring this statement without warning. The parlor was one of the more lived in rooms where his mother and sisters frequented. As expected he found them all lounging inside. His mother lifted her eyes from the book she was reading to glance at her only son.

"Whatever is the matter, Sebastian?" Francesca Emyrs asked curiously. His sisters paused in their small game of cards to wonder what was wrong.

"I cannot marry that-that girl!" He walked over to the armchair by the fireplace with an internal huff. Although he was vastly irritated, he was only able to reveal it through the slight clenching of his hand. He never was the type to show anything but utmost kindness and politeness.

"Oh, dear. What has she done this time?" Christine asked, worried.

"Sister, what she hasn't done is the appropriate question. All she can speak of is the wedding! If not that, then her day spent chattering with her friends and rumors they traded!" He sighed. After the past few hours he spent shopping with that girl during their time together, he did not have the energy to speak. "Mother, must I marry her?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear son. You know there is not a thing I can do about your wedding with Lucinda," Francesca replied, worn. A frown marred her aging skin. At the age of forty she was still as beautiful as the day she married her husband nearly twenty years ago. Recently, wrinkles began to wear her delicate features caused by the stress for concern over her youngest child and only son. It was not but her who worried; her daughters were as well.

Within a week Sebastian would soon be celebrating his eighteenth birthday. It was to be a time of celebration for the heir of the Emrys family to reach his majority at last and yet all but the Count looked forward to it. For a week after the next Sebastian was to wed Lucinda Walters, the daughter of Baron Walters, Lord Reginald. It was an engagement created from the foundations of friendship and subsequent business. The Count of Emyrs, Lord Allen Emyrs, was dear friends with Lord Reginald. In order to continue this friendship between the families they created a wedding contract between Sebastian and Lucinda when they were but children at the time of creation. They were to marry after Sebastian's eighteenth birthday.

Since he was a child, Sebastian knew he was against the marriage as were his mother and sisters. There were several reasons as to why and one of them was because of Lucinda. Lucinda was three years older than him and a beautiful young woman with the grace of a true lady of this era. However, she did not have the intelligence to match her beauty. He realized at the age of ten after she forced him to attend a tea party with her she was interested in nothing but fashion and gossip. While other men would not mind his wife to gossip (as all women were known to do so), Sebastian did. He grew up with well educated women all his life. No wife of his would be uneducated to such a degree all their thoughts revolved around but those two things! He did not want to marry a woman like that. But, since they were to be together until death separated them, he was certain death would be a blessing.

"Are you sure Father will not stop the wedding? Is there nothing you can do?" Rebecca asked their mother.

Francesca shook her head. "I cannot go against your father's wishes although I am reluctant to receive Lucinda as my daughter. I'm sorry, Sebastian."

"It is alright, Mother. I know your true sentiments regarding this matter," Sebastian said with a smile. However, the smile never reached his eyes and it showed.

"How could this have happened? Our dear brother will be forced to live with that girl," said Marlene forlornly. She placed her cards in her lap to touch her face-her only sign of distress. "I would wish no one but our enemies to that fate. Sebastian does not deserve that."

"Should we not be happy for Sebastian? He is engaged, after all," Alyssa inquired, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Heavens, no! What sort of reputation would our family gain from Lucinda as Sebastian's wife?" Rebecca replied with a soft scoff. "An Emyrs woman must be sophisticated and intelligent while being the anchor of reason for her husband. Sebastian deserves a far better wife than the likes of Lucinda Walters."

"Indeed. The men who take you girls as their wives will find no one better," Francesca said, nodding in agreement. She was proud of her daughters' intelligence and their beauty.

_If that were so, why do they have no suitor to call on them? _Sebastian thought. He immediately stopped that thought. It was not his sisters' fault they were not married. Men of today did not see the true value of his sisters. How was it while he was engaged his four beautiful and kind sisters were single? He would rather seem them married happily as they so desired while he remained single.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Not a moment later it was opened so Sebastian's father could enter.

Count Allen Emyrs was a handsome man who appeared much younger than his forty years. Standing tall with the pride of the esteemed Emyrs family, he was charismatic, agreeable, and above all kind. That is to say outside of business. As well as being a count Lord Allen Emrys was also one of the main diamond exporters in the British Empire. He owned and controlled quite a few mines in the East that would leave future generations living comfortably. Should anyone cross him they would regret doing so for years to come. Sebastian both respected and feared his father.

At the moment he saw the cross expression his father possessed fear came to the forefront.

"Girls," said Lord Allen briskly upon stepping into the room his butler, Marcus, behind him. "I must discuss something with your mother and brother."

Rebecca and Christine glanced at one another before all four stood to sweep out of the room (a respectable woman did not simply walk out a room as their mother always said). Sebastian wished they were not required to leave as that normally meant trouble for him. Once they left the room, Marcus closed the door so they would have the opportunity to eavesdrop (as they were inclined to do). Although their father's butler, Marcus didn't stand in the way of the sisters' concern for Sebastian.

"Sebastian," Allen said, "What is this I hear of you acting cold towards Lucinda?"

"Pardon?" Sebastian asked, confused. What did his father mean by that?

"I was told by her father through a telephone call you had ignored Lucinda during your time together today," he elaborated, becoming cold with each passing word. "Upon returning home Lucinda expressed her concern you do not wish to marry her. Lord Walters had to comfort her tears. Why did you have Lucinda believe such a silly thought?"

_Because I do not want to marry her!_

Sebastian wanted to yell this at his father for the past six years, but could not. Such behavior was disrespectful and he was nothing but. As it was he reigned in his anger and gave a quiet reply.

"I'm sorry, Father. I had no intentions of hurting Lucinda. I was...tired and did not mean to ignore her."

"No doubt from your time spent in the kitchen," Allen scoffed. "If you spend half as much time as you did in the kitchens on your studies, you would be better at hunting!"

"Allen!" Francesca exclaimed. Her eyes caught Sebastian's lips thinning and the subtle lock of his jaw. She lay a hand on her husband's as he stood next to her chair. "You know Sebastian does not enjoy that sport nor do I. It is simply too barbaric in this day and age."

"That is not the problem, Francesca! Sebastian is the heir to the title of Count Emyrs. He should be learning the finer points of managing the mines, _not_ cooped up in the kitchen's like a common cook's lackey! A respectful young man would not waste his time on such simple things!"

"But, he enjoys it. Sebastian creates one of the finest pastries I have ever tasted!"

"That is not something to be proud of! No child of mine shall be wasting his life on such things!"

"But-"

"Not a word, dear. It is time you and the girls stop coddling him."

Francesca nodded, but her displeasure about the whole thing was known. Sebastian could see it when her shoulders tensed.

"Sebastian," his father said to him, "you are no longer allowed within the kitchens until you are married. You must begin preparing for your wedding and your new life with Lucinda. No one will be there to hold your hand once you begin living in your manor. Am I understood?"

"Yes, _Father," _Sebastian spat out. The moment he was forbidden from the kitchens his temper rose. He had control over his otherwise nasty temper, but this was too much for him. The irritation built from years of obeying his father was at its breaking point. Before he did something that he would regret later on, Sebastian abruptly stood to his feet and all but ran out of the room. Marcus opened the door once more while frowning. He stormed out into the hallway where he found his sisters standing next to the door. All gave him varying expressions of worry.

"Brother-" Marlene started, but was interrupted by the shake of Sebastian's head.

"I-I need to be alone."

He turned from his sisters and started down the long hallway towards his room. Sebastian did not want to see the worry in their eyes nor did he want them to see the pain he was in. He was always the one who had to keep a smile on his face despite how much pain he was. The pressure of being the only son and heir to the title of Count Emyrs was something his sisters could never understand. There were expectations of him he always worked to fulfill. He always did things his father bid him to do when they did not make him happy. His sisters had control of their lives as they could choose whomever they could marry; he did not have an obligation to whom he wished to be his life partner. They had no idea how lucky they were.

The halls of the Emyrs manor were dark with candles lighting the way here and there. The sun had already set for the day eclipsing their world in an unending darkness. The moon itself hid to begin its new cycle. Sebastian had little trouble finding his way back to his room in the East wing of the manor. Although the dark made him nervous, he pushed away his fear until he finally arrived at his room. He opened the door and entered to find the candles and the fireplace were already lit. No doubt a servant had already begun his preparations for the night.

Sebastian walked over to the front of the fireplace where the couch was and collapsed in it. He buried his head in his hands. How could his father do this him? He always did what his father asked of him-always! But this...This was something he could not do. He loved being in the kitchens watching the head cook bake the sweetest and wonderful cakes he had ever seen. It was incredible how he could create such colors and tastes from common ingredients and turn them into beauty! It was magic how he was able to do such things. Why did his father think it was a waste of time? Yes, he agreed a noble young man must not waste time doing mundane things such as baking but he loved it. Baking was the only thing that could help him stay calm. He had the chance to decide how he should do things rather than someone else telling him.

He was tired of it all. He was exhausted from following his father's wishes while attempting to please everyone around him. His eighteenth birthday had not yet arrived, yet the stress made him feel as if he were fifty years old! Sebastian wished he could live his life the way he wanted rather than what someone else decided. That would only be possible if he ran away from home-

Sebastian paused. Run away from home...Was he able to do such a thing? He heard many a story where the young sons and daughters of the wealthy eloped or ran away from their homes. Before, he thought it was ridiculous to run away from your family and leave them behind. Now, though, the idea sounded appealing. Those children who ran away from their homes had the opportunity to start anew somewhere and they could control how they wanted to live their lives. They could be the person they wanted to be and be free from the expectations forced upon them. He could do the same if he wished. It was perfect!

Then, he shook his head at the thought. No, no, it wasn't perfect. Running away would solve nothing. While those children from the stories had the strength to run away, he did not. Sebastian was kept inside his home almost all his life. Save for the few outings and balls, he did not interact that much with people outside the manor. He did not know how the world truly worked unlike his father. He was certain should he step outside the manor he would not live long. Not with the burden branded on his chest. If people were to see what was on his chest, he would be burned at the stake much like the witches of olden times. That was not a risk he was willing to take. And, he thought bitterly, his father would find him easily. With his wealth and influence he would have all of England searching for him and he would be caught before he got anywhere. Running away was not an option.

_No matter what I do, my life will surely end_, Sebastian thought. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Whether it was his marriage to Lucinda or running away to discover he was tainted, his life was over. There was nothing he could do. HIs life was subjected to obeying the whims of his wife or to follow his father's footsteps. None of it was his decision and yet he was expected to do them. Nothing in his life was his. _If only there was something I could do. If someone could grant me the opportunity to live my life the way I wanted, I would do anything for it. Anything..._

But, he knew there was no such things as wishes. No one could save him from this life. No one.

Just as he thought this Sebastian felt a chill go down his spine. Raising his head, a cold gust of wind blew from behind him. It instantly extinguished the warm fireplace in front of him and plunged his room into an impenetrable darkness. Startled, he turned towards the source of wind when there was no window behind him. He already knew what was there.

The portrait of himself hung directly behind him. Larger than even himself, the portrait was adorned with a gold frame and painted with beautiful colors that brought his painted self to life. His mother had the painting commissioned a few months ago. She knew an artist that owed his career to her since she funded his first painting. The artist was more than glad to capture his image onto canvas. Sebastian remembered spending two weeks sitting on the couch in that single position incredibly bored and stiff. Once the artist was finished, he was more than glad it was over. The painting hung in his room for all to see, much to his embarrassment. Each time he entered the room he averted his eyes quickly to not see what he looked like.

Now, he could not take his eyes off it. For the painting was enshrouded in a black billowy smoke unlike anything he's ever seen. The smoke misted around the portrait as if a fog had settled directly on top of it. What was this? Sebastian stood to make his way over to the portrait cautiously. He had no clue what was happening. Upon closer inspection he noticed he could still see the image but the smoke encompassed the entire frame. How curious. Once he was close to it, without a thought, he lifted a hand to gently touch the gold frame.

His fingers barely skimmed the frame when the smoke began to act up.

Sebastian's eyes widened when the smoke whirled around in front of him out of the portrait. It gathered directly in front of him where he could feel the cool yet burning touch. It was like stepping into the early morning fog that gathered in the grounds while a teapot was screeching its steam at him. Or, that's how he could describe it. Too frightened to do anything, he was amazed when it gathered into a large body to form something akin to a human body that was touching him. Then, the smoke solidified to bring out the curves of the human body, fuller around the hips and chest indicating it to be a woman's. It melted away and he felt a tight but warm grip on his shoulders. When it solidified he made out the black lightening to a mildly light skin tone. His eyes widened when the smoke completely evaporated and he saw what it formed.

It was a girl.

She was approximately his age with long messy blond hair pulled into pigtails hanging down her shoulders. Her attire was the strangest as she was wearing some sort of coat that ended at her waist and trousers. What was astonishing was her facial features...They matched his own down to the slightest detail. The girl had the upward curl of his lips forever etched into a smile. His jaw gaped open.

"Wh-Who are you?"

The girl opened her eyes. He could see himself in those eyes that looked far too much like his own. She imitated him, and then breathed, "Oh, shit."

For a moment neither said a word. They stared at one another, speechless. Sebastian did not know how to respond to either the girl or her remarkable appearance. Despite her vulgar language, he caught the American accent she had. She was an American? How did an American come out of his portrait? How was that possible? It shouldn't have been so, yet here she was. What in the world was happening?

Sebastian was snapped out of his daze at the knock on his door.

"Young master? It is time to prepare for bed," came the old voice of Marcus.

He turned his head to the door, glancing at the girl out of the corners of his eyes. The girl's jaw was still hanging in her stunned state. Oh, dear! How was he to explain the sudden appearance of a girl in his _bedroom?_ He was sure to hear the rumors flying about among the servants then to all of society itself should anyone know she was here. No, he couldn't let anyone see her!

Sebastian quickly pushed the girl towards the bed onto it. The girl snapped out of her daze and stared at him.

"Oh, my God. You're-" The girl began to say.

"Be quiet!" Sebastian hissed. He pulled the curtains of his four-poster bed closed, forcing the girl to pull her feet onto his clean sheets. Oh, dear. The maid would not be happy about that. Before he fully closed it, he whispered, "Do not say a word."

The girl silently nodded, looking as lost as he felt.

"Young master? Are you well?"

"Y-Yes! I'm fine! Come in," Sebastian stuttered. He hoped the curtain stayed closed. He was taking no chances in the case the girl was nothing but a hallucination. If she wasn't...Well, he didn't want to find out.

The door opened. Marcus entered with a lit candelabra to illuminate through the darkness. He crossed the room towards his bedside to set it down, peering at the fireplace.

"Did the scullery maid not light the fireplace yet? She has done all the other rooms but your own." Marcus clicked his tongue at the impudence of it all. "I will need to talk to that girl once the family is asleep. The nerve of that lazy girl!"

Sebastian hummed in agreement, although he felt guilty for keeping quiet. HOw was he to explain a wind blew out the fireplace when the window was not open? That would lead to questions he had no answers for. He pushed away the guilt and watched Marcus begin their nightly routine. He crossed the room over to the dresser where his nightclothes were. Sebastian remained silent even as Marcus came back to him with his nightshirt and began to unbutton his clothes. Just in case he made certain to stand facing the bed so Marcus would have his back to it. Luckily he did, because he saw a part of the curtain crack open for a curious green eye to peer out.

After a few minutes of silence, when Marcus unbuttoned his shirt, he realized that a _woman_ was in the room while he was half-naked. He also realized his chest was bare and he was in the perfect angle and light to see his cursed birthmark. A small 'Eep!' emitted from the bed. Marcus paused in his task of unbuttoning his trousers.

"Did you say something, young master?"

"Ah, forgive me. I'm a bit cold," Sebastian laughed weakly. All the while he was mentally yelling at the girl for not following his order. His cheeks colored, averting his eyes from the one peering intently at him. How embarrassing. A woman was watching him while he was half-naked. "I realize this will be one of the last few times you will be changing me for bed. I've had no other person to do this but you."

"But, of course. Time has passed quite quickly since the day you were born," Marcus replied. He smiled at him fondly. "Why, I remember when you were very small you refused anyone who tried to dress you that was not me. You would throw a fit when they tried to take your shirt off."

"That is because I trust you, Marcus. You are a loyal man who accepted the one thing I had no absolute control over." As he spoke he touched the birthmark on his chest. The very thing he despised and dreaded for people, even his fiance, to see.

"Yes, it is unfortunate you were isolated for bearing such a mark. But, as you said yourself, young master, you have no control over it. What becomes of your body is for nature and God to decide."

"That makes me wonder why God decided to give me such a mark. His sense of humor is deplorable."

"His ways are mysterious. We shall never know why He makes such decisions," Marcus sighed. He finished slipping on Sebastian's night shirt and stepped back. He studied him and smiled. "It still astounds me how grown you are, young master. It seems like yesterday you were but a boy running around on the grounds playing make believe games. You've become a fine young boy. Lady Lucinda must be happy to have you as her husband."

"One of us must be happy in this marriage," Sebastian retorted ruefully. "Marcus, why does Father want me to marry Lucinda? Surely, he realizes we do not make a good match?"

"No, I do not believe he sees that. Lady Lucinda is a lovely girl who is quite popular in society. Many nobles see how lovely and charming she is. She has had many gentlemen call upon her the day she came out into society, but she has already declared she belongs with the young master. Not only that her father's trading business is doing well amassing a fortune that would last generations. Your father's business would profit through Lord Walter's trading. This marriage would bring prosperity to both families."

"So I am to marry for money, not love."

"Not at first. In time you shall love Lady Lucinda. But that is in time."

"And what if I don't love her? How long would it take for me to love her? A month? A year? My entire life?" Sebastian was certain he would never love Lucinda. He knew her for too long and knew love would never grow. He has tried to find something in Lucinda he loved, but the truth of the matter was he could not. "Father does not realize I can never love Lucinda. I do not wish to be trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman I can barely stand being around!"

"Young master!" Marcus exclaimed, appalled.

"I know Lucinda is a charming girl. She is lovelier than all the women of England and with an agreeable personality. But, I do not love her. I doubt I ever will."

Sebastian knew this from the bottom of his heart. He would never, _never_ love Lucinda.

The old butler sighed. "It is your father's wish to unite our families. Do not forget Lord Walters is a dear friend to the master. They are as close as blood brothers. What better way to unite our families than through the marriage of their children?"

"Father did not ask me if I wished to have Lucinda as my bride! Why must I be the one to marry? One of my sisters would gladly take William as their husband instead!"

"Lord William has his own engagement. It must be you."

"I'd rather die than marry her," Sebastian muttered, disgusted with the whole arrangement. But, he was stopped when Marcus gave him a stern glare.

"Death is not an option for anyone. The future of the Emyrs family depends on you. Therefore, you must be the one to do what's right for the family," he said. It reminded Sebastian of when he was younger and he accidentally trailed mud inside the manor. No matter how old he got Marcus could always make him feel like a child. So, like a child, he nodded his head obediently. There was nothing he could say on this matter. Seeing this, Marcus' glare softened. "I know how much this displeases you, young master, but the master is looking out for your future. He is correct in saying your mother and sisters cannot coddle you anymore. You are to one day be head of the family and must be prepared to stand alone. Your father is making sure you are ready. Understand?"

"I...understand." Unfortunately, he did. He was trapped in this marriage and the number of times he protested against it had no meaning. His life was decided for him.

"Good. Now, it is time for bed." Marcus turned around and walked towards the bed. Sebastian's heart raced. Oh, no! The woman was still there! Marcus grabbed hold of the curtains and began to pull it open. He was stopped when Sebastian came in front of him to keep them shut.

"Marcus, you said I was not a child anymore. I believe I can get into bed by myself." He gave his most charming smile he could manage. "You should go attend to my father and finish your chores for today."

"Ah, of course." Marcus nodded in understanding. Sebastian was almost eighteen after all. "Good night."

"Good night, young master."

With another bow Marcus turned to leave the room, closing the room behind him. The candelabra was left behind since Sebastian rarely slept in a fully darkened room on his own.

Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. That was close. For a moment he believed the girl would be found. Now, he could quench his curiosity. He turned back o the bed and opened the curtain. In the shadows of the bed the girl peered back at him with wide eyes.

"Who are you? How did you come out of the painting like that?" he demanded. After today, he was in no mood for games.

She did not respond at first. She sat staring at his chest while her hand lingered over her hand. Her whole frame shook violently.

"That mark...Were you born with that?"

"That is none of your concern. Answer my question now before I alert the household to your presence."

At his stern tone the girl shook out of her stupor.

"Right. Sorry. Rude of me," she apologized. She swung her legs off to the side of the bed so she sat properly. A smile-one too similar to his own-was offered. "Viola Emyrs, at your service. I hope I'm wrong, but is your name Sebastian Emrys?"

"How do you know my name?" Impossible! How did this strange girl know his name? He would have remembered being introduced to a girl nearly identical to him. Unless...Anger and disgust rose in him. "Were you sent to kill me? I would not be surprised if you were."

"Um, what? Why would I kill you? Oh, wait. I'm having one of my weird dreams again, aren't I?" The girl, Viola, burst out laughing. Her joyous laugh caught him off guard. "This is a new one. I've never been an assassin hired to kill before. And my own ancestor, no less! That portrait must have freaked me out so bad I fainted."

"Are you well?" Sebastian asked, frightened more than ever. Was this woman touched in the head? What nonsense was she spouting?

"I'm fine. Just surprised. Wow, this dream is so real. Your face isn't fuzzy like they usually are in my dreams." Viola stared at his face with an intensity that could smoulder. She tilted her head in a way similar to his sisters when they find something fascinating. "Well, I'm not really surprised your face isn't' fuzzy. It's the same as mine, after all. Can't really dream clearly when I can't even imagine my own face."

She laughed again and he was beginning to question the girl's sanity.

"Viola, you are not dreaming," he said. The woman was having trouble separating reality from her dreams. As far as he knew this was real. He pinched himself as hard as he could to prove that.

"Of course I am! I mean, why else would I be dreaming I'm meeting the guy who started the curse on the Emrys manor?"

"Curse?"

"Yeah. This whole place is abandoned. Two people died here and it's been haunted ever since. The place looked brand new so I'm obviously dreaming."

"Viola, I mean it. This is not a dream. You are well awake."

"Psh. Yeah, right. I've seen Inception. I know this is a dream."

"Oh, for goodness' sake-" Sebastian had lost his patience with this conversation. They were getting nowhere with it. She believed she was dreaming when she was, in fact, awake. There was only one way to prove this was not a dream. "Please, forgive me in advance."

Sebastian lifted his open palm and slapped Viola on her cheek. Her head whipped to the side from the harder-than-usual force (he accidentally vented his irritation from earlier). Her eyes wide, she touched her brightening cheek.

"That hurt," she breathed, astonished. "Oh, my God. That hurt. When I get hurt in dreams it always ends the moment I do get hurt. If that hurt, then...Oh, my God."

"Do you believe this is real now?"

Viola nodded meekly. "I-I don't understand, though. You can't be alive. This manor is supposed to be abandoned! People don't live here anymore. And you're talking with a refinement I've only ever read in the Victorian Era! It's 2011, for God's sake! No one talks like that except on TV."

He began to feel an oncoming headache that formed since the moment she appeared. The terms she was using were unfamiliar to him. What year she also said startled him.

"I believe you are mistaken. It is not 2011. The year is 1888," he corrected, patiently. Viola was becoming quite difficult to handle. He tried to remain calm and patient for she felt as lost as he did.

She looked at him with a great disbelief it was as if he was under speculation. Silently, she thrust her hand into her trouser pocket to pull out a strange black device. It was a small rectangular object with a few tiny buttons on it. When she pressed the button on its surface he was amazed to see it lit up. She gazed at the object, muttering, "Please let there be service. Please, _please_, damnit!"

Viola cursed, placing the object back in her pocket.

"No service. What the hell is going on?"

"Viola, I know this might sound strange, but why did you appear out of my portrait in a black smoke?" Sebastian asked. As she was calm, he thought it best to ask the question on his mind the moment she appeared.

"I appeared in black smoke?" she questioned. He nodded. "But all I did was touch your portrait."

"When did you touch my portrait? There was no one in my room other than me."

Their eyes locked for a moment of pure fear, panic, and confusion. Sebastian did not know what was going on and from Viola's reaction neither did she. Viola broke the silence by speaking.

"Okay, I'm a little scared now. How about I tell you my story and then you tell your's? We'll match them up and figure out what's going on, yeah? Because I'm really starting to freak out."

He nodded. At the moment he did not know what to think himself.

"Alright. Here goes." She took a deep breath and began her tale.

Viola told her tale of being from the year 2011. She explained how she and her friends had gone to this manor, which was abandoned and haunted as she repeated, in order to be daring on Halloween night. They were each tasked to find an object of sorts within the manor in a competition for Funtom sweets. Viola herself was tasked with finding his portrait and wandered the manor with another friend to search for it. She and her friend were eventually separated when she found this very room. Locating the portrait, she grabbed hold of it only to feel her whole body grow numb. When she opened her eyes she found herself touching him instead.

Sebastian did not know what to think of her story as she told it. What she was speaking of was far too fantastic to be true. She was from the year 2011, more than a hundred years into the future, and she suddenly found herself here. It was impossible, insane, and too tale a tale to be true. Yet...He could feel that it was true. Besides her appearance and her accent, her eyes spoke the truth. Throughout her retelling, her open expression told of the fear and panic she was experiencing as she tried to recall what had happened. She was far too frightened for it to be all an act. No actress could reveal the raw fear of what this situation could mean to her.

And soon, it was his turn.

He spoke of the day where he had spent time with his fiance, grew frustrated with her, and had the arguement with his father. As he told it he could see Viola's eyebrows rise with disbelief. He finally ended with her appearing in a cloud of black smoke emitting from his portrait.

"Wait, let me get this straight. I touch your portrait in the year 2011 and appeared in a black smoke in 1888 AKA Victorian London," Viola reiterated after he finished.

"It...would seem so," Sebastian agreed. When spoken aloud the idea of it was simply mad. Then again, this entire situation was mad.

"This isn't a dream?"

"You are no more awake than I am."

"Wow. This manor really is cursed," she decided. She leaned back in the bed. Sometime during their storytelling, they had both sat on the bed to face one another. She blinked into the darkness, staring out the window facing the woods surrounding the estate. "What ghost from Hell placed a curse on your portrait to make me come to this time?"

"You are taking this rather well," Sebastian observed. She was acting entirely calm when she had learned she was not even in her own time. If it were he, he would not be in his right mind.

"Oh, believe me. I'm having an internal freak out at the moment. Later on, I'll start panicking, but I want to figure out what the hell happened to me first. Freaking out now won't help." She rubbed her face with a moan. "I don't get it. Why this era? Why _you?_ I know most of my family said I looked a lot like you from the few accounts my grandmother from this era, but what the hell?"

"Grandmother?"

"One of your sisters. You're like the urban legend of the Emyrs family. Every single one of us know who you are and trust me all the stories told aren't good."

"What? You did not tell me you were my great niece." Sebastian felt himself grow pale. He suspected he and Viola were of some relation due to her Emrys green eyes as well as her last name. However, she never told him she was his niece.

She frowned. "Huh, really? I could've sworn I told you. Well, now you know! I'm your niece! Yay!"

He buried his head in his hands. Oh, he really was not feeling well. All of this information was too much for him to take. At the moment all he could do was take it in stride before he lost his mind. "So you are my niece and my family in your time know of me. What stories of me are told?"

"Well, you know. This and that...One of them is about a certain little thing. Um, I know this is rude of me, but your birthmark..." Viola trailed off while changing the subject. She shifted uncomfortably. "Is it really a birthmark? It's not a tattoo or anything?"

"No. My birthmark is real. It has caused me nothing but grief." He grew uncomfortable when she finally breached the topic he wanted to avoid. She saw his mark, after all, and many who see it ask the question. "Why do you ask?"

"The thing is when I was younger my mom and some of her family told me about your birthmark," she began. She stared firmly down at her hands twiddling in her lap. "They said you were the only other person in the family to be born with it. A lot of my family told stories of how sometime in our family way before you were born we made a deal with the devil. I didn't think much about you having the birthmark until I saw it just now."

"Wait a moment. You said only other person," Sebastian realized. He did not miss the way she phrased it. "Whom else was born with this mark? As far as I'm aware no one else in all of England were born with this mark."

"Only one person was born with this mark. And that's me."

He froze. No. This was too much of a coincidence. Was she truly born with that mark? His mouth was dry and he was at a loss for words. He thought it impossible for black magic (what else could it be?) to be real and the proof in the form of a future great-niece was right in front of him. If so, then the chance of her being born with the mark weren't impossible-only improbable. The thought of her having it made him anxious.

"May I-May I see it?" he requested, finding his voice.

Viola softly bit her lower lip. She looked at everything but him. "I-I don't know. The mark is in the same exact place as your's-right over the heart. And, you know, a guy's body is totally different from a girl's since we have-" She glanced down at her chest and made a vulgar gesture at her assets. He flushed. "I guess I'd be alright showing you my birthmark. You're my times great-uncle. We're family."

"Ah, yes. That is-" Sebastian coughed. His entire body was flush with embarrassment. He did not realize she would have the birthmark in a similar place as his. If so, it was not proper to see that part of a woman's body. Still, he did want to see it. He was torn.

She giggled at his reaction though her own cheeks were pink in the candlelight. She made a decision because her hands grabbed hold of the hem of her shirt. He was completely mortified when he saw the expanse of bare skin on her stomach. She lifted it high and he was about to avert his gaze from her assets. But then, he saw the beginnings of a black mark on the bottom of her rib cage. He could not look away, ignoring the strange clothing strapped to her chest to barely cover her assets to see what lay beneath them.

A large black marking smudged her soft tan skin. The entire marking was circular in the shape of a pointed wheel that rested firmly on the left side of her chest where her heart was. Within the circle was a star etched with ancient writing both inside and out of it. It was an exact detailed replica of a pentagram used commonly in black magic. He gasped seeing most of the mark (the clothing covered part of it).

It was his birthmark.

The same marking rested over his heart. Not many people who knew of the mark believed it to be a birthmark. It was much too detailed to be a birthmark as it looked more of a tattoo. However, his sisters and mother could vouch the mark was there the moment the birthing blood was wiped from him. The mark grew in size as he became older, causing much disbelief among his family. His mother and sisters reassured him this birthmark meant he was destined for greatness; he believed it was a curse that would haunt him until the day he died.

Seeing the mark on Viola passed a wave of relief over him followed by guilt for feeling that. While it was nice to know he was not the only one who bared this cursed mark, he did not wish for anyone else to bare it. The mark was a curse and it was not for anyone to experience what he had during these years. Viola must have known what it meant to be born with this mark only associated with the devil.

"What could this mean?" he whispered.

"No clue. All I know its a curse." Viola replaced her shirt back down to cover her decency. She rolled her eyes. "My uncle thinks I was born with this mark is God's revenge for your actions. He said because you ran away from your arranged marriage I'm the one who has to pay for our actions. Which I think is bullshit. And since I was rumored to look like you my mom named me Viola since you were named after the character in _Twelfth Night._"

"I ran away from my arranged marriage?" Sebastian exclaimed.

"Yeah. Why? Oh. Oh, no. I just gave you the idea to run away from home, didn't I?"

"No. You gave me the courage to do what I thought of doing." A manic grin spread on his face the moment she mentioned he ran away from home. Hours before, he lamented his arranged marriage and how he was inevitably supposed to marry Lucinda. Now, after he desperately wished for help to come, it came in the form of future knowledge. He never married Lucinda because he was not there to do it. If what Viola said was true, he would find his own way-one away from his father and the title that came with it. Excitement surged his being as he jumped off the bed. He took hurried strides over to his dresser where he was sure to find a bag. "I'm going to run away from here. Tonight."

"Tonight? Sebastian, wait!" Viola cried. She jumped off the bed and followed him around the room as he began to gather clothing and several other objects he might find useful. His hunting knife, a compass, his pistol (given to him for self-defence) all went into a small sack he owned along with some clothing. "You can't run away! Think about what you're doing!"

"Viola, for the past twelve years I have thought about what I am doing in my life and what is to come and I do not want it," hissed Sebastian, turning at his heel to glare at her. She was unfazed but visibly looked upset. "I do not know how things are done in the future, but have you ever had someone try to control your life since the moment you were born? When you are the only son and heir of a noble family? Once I marry my fiance I will lose what little freedom I have to conform to society's rules. I do not want that. What you told me has given me the courage to do what I wanted multiple times."

"Do what?"

He pulled off his nightshirt to put on his commoner clothes for when he practices fencing. Slipping on the worn out shirt and trousers, he smiled confidently at Viola.

"To take my life back."

"Oh, my God. You've got rebellion prince syndrome. Sebastian, please think this through. When I said you ran away from your arranged marriage no one knows what happened to you after. For all we know you died not long after you left home. What are you even planning to do once you're away from here?"

"I plan to go to London and find work. It seems like the perfect place to disappear and stay away from my family. Of course, it is temporary. I will need to find better accommodations. Perhaps Germany or America?" There were endless possibilities of what he could do with his life. He could go wherever he wanted and be free to do it. He could just imagine what his new life would be like. A little cottage by the seaside where he resided with a wife and maybe a dog. They were greatly happy and well supported. The calm waves lapping at their toes as he and his currently faceless wife strolled along the shore with the sun setting on the horizon...It was all so perfect.

His cottage was ruined when the sea lapped violently when Viola jerked him back to his darkened bedroom. He found her eyes gazing at him in disbelief and frustration.

"I'd hate to break your little fantasy, but running away to London isn't going to be helpful. No offense but you look like you haven't worked a day in your life." She grabbed his hand. He flushed as she ran her fingers across the palm of his hand. "Except for the occasional burn scars, your hands are as soft as a baby's bottom. No calluses at all."

"So what if they are? What does it matter?" he demanded, taking his hand back from her.

"You're joking. You'd have a hard time adjusting to work. Not to mention you might be staying on the streets if you can't find a job on the first day. And by your cultured appearance, people will mug you. Badly. No, you wouldn't last a day on the streets. And trust me, I know."

"Then, what do you propose I do? Stay here and waste my life bending over to the whims of a wife who married me strictly for the sake of money?"

"No, but-Ugh!" Viola threw up her hands in frustration. "No matter what I say you're going to do it anyway, aren't you? Jesus, now I know how my friends feel when they're talking me out of something!"

"Are you going to stop me?" Sebastian challenged. Even if she was his niece, he refused to listen to anyone. He was not going to stop his only chance at freedom.

"It wouldn't help anyway, but I don't want to let some sheltered kid out on the streets by himself. It's not right. So. I'm coming with you."

He tensed. He expected everything but that to be suggested. He at least expected her to protest more before giving in to his demands. Never did he imagine she would wish to join him.

"Why ever would you want to?" he asked, incredulously.

"You're family," she stated simply. "I can't let family run off on their own to get killed on the streets. For a guy like you it's pretty scary. I know how things are on the streets so I can at least keep you out of trouble while you figure out what to do."

"You do not need to do that. I will be fine on my own," Sebastian insisted. Viola need not get involved in his affairs. It was not fair to her to follow him on something as reckless as this.

"No, I'm coming with you. If I stay here, what do you think will happen? You're the only one who knows I'm here, how I got here, and why I happen to look like you. It's better if we stick together." Viola managed a bright smile, but beneath it he could see the anxiety building within her. It was at that time Sebastian thought how frightened she was. She was in a time that was not her own with no one but him to rely on. She was completely out of her element. How could she hide her fears beneath a smile as bright as the sun?

Something within Sebastian broke when he saw this girl try to act strong. She did not want to be alone and neither did he. There was only one thing he could do at the sight of that face.

"Alright. You can come."

Almost instantly, he saw the tension in her eyes melt into relief. Her smile became a tad brighter as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, looks like from here on out it'll be the two of us. Birds of a feather really have to flock together if we want to make it in the streets of London, after all. Let's go make you a new life!"

She held out her hand to him with an excitement Sebastian has never seen before. It was infectious and he found himself matching her smile. For the first time he felt more at ease with what was occurring around him. He took her hand.

"Yes. We shall."

From that moment on, Sebastian knew Viola would be the one person he could rely on no matter what. Because after that night, they would need the other's support to stand strong in the face of future evil.

* * *

**Well, there you go! Third chapter full of a whole bunch of dialogue. Sorry it's nothing but talking. I wanted to get the explanations out of the way so Sebastian had a good reason to leave his family manor. Don't know if I got his speech correctly for this era. I had to reread the Victorian era books I own (**_**Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, **_**and**_** The Picture of Dorian Gray)**_** to get a grip on the type of language they used. What I got from it was a bunch of exaggerations and posh/elegant words. Bleh, that was hard. Hope Sebastian turned out okay.**

**So! Next chapter I'll be skipping to when the plot comes in AKA getting to meet Ciel and Sebastian Michaelis! Yay!**

**Thank you for all the reviews I got and please keep doing so! I love constructive criticism no matter how harsh!**

**Please review!**


	4. The Deal

Chapter 4

Bastian waited anxiously in the shadows of the alley he stood in. Around him were empty broken crates, garbage, and waste culminated from the residents of East End. He tried to ignore all of that as he peered out of the mouth of the alley. Out in the narrowed street he could see the dirt-covered denizens who lived in this very section. Some were men more than intoxicated from various substances, others were women dressed less than proper with their shoulders and cleavage protruding to invite men to their beds for a little money. Children of all ages ran around the street without shoes or fitting clothes, which appalled him. He tried to ignore all of this for the familiar appearance of the one person he could trust. With the sun vanishing from their gloomy world his breath halted anxiously for her to come.

He soon heard the familiar cackle of triumph echo from the other end of the alley. Viola came running into the alley skipping over the rubbish to come to a stop next to him. A burlap sack hung over her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah! Guess who scored big this time?" she bragged. She set the sack down onto a disposed crate to pluck out various items from within. Meats, cheese, and fruit piled high. He could not believe it.

"Where did you get all of this?" he asked, amazed.

"Some cook of a noble left the back door open. What a moron."

Bastian got excited upon seeing the glorious food, but deflated upon hearing where she got them.

"Viola, I specifically asked you to cease pilfering from noble homes," he scolded. "Do you know what might have happened if you were caught?"

"Not this again." Viola fell back onto a smaller crate. She took off the dirty brown cap that hid her long blond hair and let it fall to her shoulders in a greasy wave. "Look, Bastian. I'm being super careful around the rich district. No one has ever seen my face so far. It's all good."

"I know you are being careful, but we cannot chance it. I do not want you to be arrested on my behalf."

"Then, do you want to starve? If you don't like being here, go home!"

He resisted the urge to raise his hand against her. Although he despised the thought, Viola was right. Were it not for liberating nobles of their food Bastian would have gone home two months ago. He was still here because of her.

Two months ago, he ran away from his ancestral home with a mad but sane girl claiming to be his niece from the future. The very night she appeared to him like a miracle waiting to happen they escaped from that place to take refuge in London. Bastian believed he could start a new life easily in such a large city and all would be well. However, his dreams were shattered by the hammer of reality. Like his niece predicted, he was unable to find work simply because he refused to work in certain conditions. He was unused to hard work, so he thought it would be best to find work that would be easy for him to handle. Unfortunately, such a thing did not exist. He was not able to find a job as easily as he thought; therefore, he had no place to stay by the end of the first day. And that led to one other option of lodgings.

They were forced to stay in East End.

The East End of London was just as horrible as he heard. It was where all the poor, ruffians, thieves, and beggars gathered to create a disgusting and infested nest. The first night they spent in the area Bastian was frightened to sleep in fear of being killed for his belongings. He was almost certain he wouldn't survive the night. Viola was his saving grace like he believed. Viola knew what she was doing the moment they were forced to spend the night in an alleyway with but crates and rubbish as their company and shelter. The first thing she did was take out a small knife and stood guard over him while he slept. When they settled down for the night someone tried to attack them to steal their things. Viola defended them, much to his surprise, and fought off the larger man, telling him to leave them alone and pass on the message to other people who would dare approach their alley. Since then, not many bothered them in that alley that became their home.

Practically homeless and possessing depleting funds with no sign of employment, by the end of the week they were forced to adapt to their current situation. Viola took it upon herself to start stealing the food they needed. At first it was small things she stole like from the baskets and pockets of people she passed on the street. She grew more confident as time passed and began stealing from homes in the middle-classed and wealthy districts. All Bastian could think of was how confident his niece was to have the courage to start stealing out of homes. Well, she did know to break and enter homes without a problem. That wasn't what worried him. He was worried one day she would be caught.

Bastian had to take several measures to hid from his father. Two days after arriving in the city his father had already contacted Scotland Yard regarding his disappearance. Officers were soon on the lookout for him to bring him home. To effectively hide he had to change his name, appearance, and speech. His name became Bastian Dupree, his hair became matted and wild compared to its tame and proper style, and he began speaking as if he were born in the East End. Of course, he had a bit of help from Viola to get the speech down. She was a lot of help.

If only she could stop stealing! Stealing was going to get her noticed, and with an identical appearance to him Scotland Yard was certain to send her to his father in his place. He couldn't let that happen.

So why, _why_, did she insist on stealing straight from wealthy homes?

"You really must be careful," Bastian said, resigned. He took a seat next to her and began picking off some of the food. It has been nearly two days since their last meal.

"I'm being careful. I don't know why you're freaking out so much," said Viola, popping a grape into her mouth. "I've been in these situations before so I know what I'm doing."

"You've been forced onto the streets and had to steal?"

"Kind of. I got kidnapped, escaped, and had to survive on the streets for a week before I was found." The way she said it was far too cheerful. He had doubt its authenticity. Almost. He was not sure at all about his niece. Being from the future, she was not what he would expect of a normal lady her age. Then again, Viola was no normal lady. "Anyway, anything exciting happen with you today?"

"None other than the usual, I suppose," he answered. "I tried looking for work but was unable to. Then, I scoured the gutters for loose change for us to use, but that was fruitless. After that, I simply wandered around the East End."

"I guess this is different from your usual schedule as a noble, huh? I'm sorry your expectations of a new life weren't met yet," she apologized, sympathetic.

"I do miss being home." Bastian missed his home. He missed his mother and sisters, who were sure to be worried to death by this point, and he missed his library where he could read as many books as he wanted without moving from the room. However, he did not miss the expectations his life was made of. "This life is difficult to adapt to after having my luxurious life, but I do not regret it. I did not have to marry that horrid girl and am free to do whatever I wish."

"At least you're used to this life. After the first two weeks of constant complaining, I seriously thought you were going to go home. Good to know you adapted to this life."

"Yes. It was hard at first. It was thanks to you I endured this long."

"Nah, it's nothing! I'm not used to this life either but I have to admit it's fun. Though, I could do without living in a place like this." She waved a hand to the dirty alley. "I don't want to die, because I slept in a disease ridden place. I miss sleeping in a comfy bed. You need to find a job fast already."

He sighed. "Yes, yes. I know. I would like to leave this place as well. Perhaps tomorrow I will try taking the jobs I rejected before. I do not want to burden you with thievery any longer. A woman does not deserve to live in a place like this."

"Aw, you're such a gentleman," Viola giggled. She reached over the crate to pinch Bastian on the cheek. "You know in my era chivalry is dead. It's so nice to see a man willing to do something he doesn't want to for a lady. I bet if you lived in my era the ladies would find you adorable. Or old-fashioned. Either one."

He slapped her hand away. Although she was his niece, he disliked being touched. He may act like a heathen of the East End, but he was ultimately a gentleman first and foremost. As such a lady should not touch a man so intimately. From what he observed from Viola, her generation did not mind touching people. What kind of society she lived, he would never understand.

"If I am able to find a job, I must teach you how to be a lady. Acting the way you do in public is looked down upon," he commented, dryly.

"Psh. Please. I know how to act like a lady. I don't act like it 'cause it's so boring. Too many rules to follow," she said, waving it off.

"I find that hard to believe."

"No, really. It's true. Maybe someday I'll show you."

He hummed non-committed. The day he saw Viola act like a proper lady was the day he was going to dress like one. And that was a day he sorely wished would not happen.

"I'm beat." She stretched and yawned, leaving against the wall with her arms behind her neck. "I think I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when the moon rises."

Bastian nodded. Viola closed her eyes and relaxed. He soon heard the soft regular breathing and knew she was asleep. He stared at her peaceful face without a care in the world, shaking his head. Viola may be the most crude woman he has ever seen, but she was a breath of fresh air. While he was used to the proper and predictable noble women like Lucinda, Viola was the unpredictable whirlwind who acted the way she wanted, not what others wanted. He was thankful for her entering his life. She may be strange and, at times, frustrating; yet, she represented how he wanted to be. He wanted to live life the way he wanted. That was only possible because Viola was there to give him the courage to fulfill that wish.

Viola would never know how much he valued her. He was going to show his appreciation soon by giving her a comfortable life in this era. He had a feeling by this time in a few days he would find a job to give her such a life. He knew his luck would soon turn around. He just knew it.

* * *

In the middle of the night Bastian woke from where he was huddled against Viola for some warmth. Since Viola guarded him during the night, he had no reason to fear anything but the elements. The night air froze his skin, but he was already used to this. He woke from the slight movement of Viola's free arm. He straightened into a sitting position to see what she was doing.

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" Viola asked. In her hand was a fountain pen with the notebook she stole from a noble's home in her lap. Through the dim light, he could spot the sentences written inside.

"No, I was cold. Are you keeping a journal?" he asked, yawning.

"Kinda. I'm writing down what's happened to me, so I don't seem like I'm going crazy."

"How so?"

"I still can't believe I'm here in the Victorian Era." She waved a hand to what he assumed was all of London. "I've been here two months now, and it all feels like a dream. I don't understand how I touched your portrait to end up in this era."

"It was black magic," he answered plainly.

"Demons don't exist. I keep telling you this."

Bastian rolled his eyes-a habit he picked up from her. He originally proposed it was the work of black magic that transported Viola to this era. However, she refused to acknowledge the existence of demons fervently for some strange reason. She insisted demons did not exist and black magic was the work of some hallucinogenic drug used in some of the rituals. That did not explain anything, because how else would Viola be here over a hundred years from her time? After that, her argument fell apart. Still, she did not accept the explanation of black magic. To this day she refused to believe demons did exist.

"May I see what you wrote?" he asked.

Viola handed over the journal to him. Being near the street lamps, he vaguely read the words she wrote.

"Your handwriting is atrocious," he commented. He read through her blocky letters to see she had written the event where she was transported here as well as their meeting within the journal.

"Oh, shut up. I don't know why all of you guys write in fancy cursive if you want people to read your handwriting," Viola huffed.

"Writing in cursive gives the letter elegance where this print is horrid and unreadable."

"There's nothing wrong with my handwriting! You should see half the guys in my class. You'd need a magnifying glass to read my friend's writing 'cause he writes so small."

"I admit it is quite astonishing to know in the future everyone has the ability to read." Bastian was amazed almost everyone in Viola's society could read and write well enough to understand things. It was almost unheard of for anyone of low-class birth to know how to read much less write. But… "Your butchering of the Queen's English is mortifying for someone of your birth. I know Americans are fond of rebelling against all things English, but to butcher the very language is disgusting."

"I'm not an American."

He stared at her for a moment. She wasn't?

"No, I'm not. I was born in London. My parents moved to the US when I was a baby. I was raised there long enough to pick up the accent. You know to me it sounds like everyone else has an accent while I'm speaking normally? It's weird."

Another odd thing they acquired was the ability to know what the other was thinking. Bastian supposed because they were distant relatives and quite similar in appearance and personality, they were skilled in reading one another. He could tell if Viola was lying about something while she could almost read his thoughts. They knew one another too intimately in such a short time he was appalled to know a woman in such a way. It was not proper in the least!

"As you are in England you are the one with the accent," he pointed out. He returned the journal to her.

"Which I found unfair. I want to speak with an English accent. It'll make me sound posh and refined."

"Perhaps you need it since you have no refinement."

"That," she stated, slowly, "was low."

Bastian said nothing. Half the time he spent with Viola, he found he could not always understand what she said. Her 'modern day slang' as she called it did not make much sense. This time, he did not answer because he heard a small noise emit from the other end of the alley. He got to his feet, turning to the noise. It was too late.

Black figures appeared from the end of the alley. Before Viola and Bastian could react, they were surrounded and grabbed roughly.

Bastian grunted as he was forced to the ground on his stomach. Hands too large gripped his wrists behind his back painfully. He heard Viola shouting his name as she, too, was restrained.

"Now, now, no need to bring up such a fuss," said a roughened voice with an Italian accent. Someone stepped in front of his line of sight. He could see shiny leather shoes and the bottoms of high-quality slacks. He let his eyes roam up higher to allow him to see a man with light colored hair and a scar running diagonally across his face. In between his teeth was a cigar. He leered down at him. "Tch. So pretty boy's that thief the English are worryin' about? He's a dandy!"

"Yo, moron! He's not the thief. I am!" Viola yelled. From what Bastian could see, she was being held back by a brawny man twice her size. So her monstrous strength would not allow her to break free so easily.

The man turned to face her. Viola was being held an inch off the ground. He outright laughed, causing her to scowl.

"You, little girl? Ha! Of course they wouldn't see a girl as a thief. Are you sure you're a girl?"

"What the fuck do you want, you _pezzo de merda_?" she hissed. Bastian couldn't help but blush at the profanity escaping her mouth. He was still getting used to a woman swearing so openly and casually.

The man was obviously not amused by the insult, yet he appeared impressed. Most likely due to her ability to swear in Italian. "I have a job that only a thief can do. You're the best in this city, yes?"

"Who's askin'?"

"I am. I'll make you a deal. I want you to kidnap someone."

Viola and Bastian stared at him with wide eyes. Viola was known only for her skills to steal things. Why would someone ask her to kidnap someone?

"I'm a thief, not a kidnapper," she finally stuttered. "Why would you need me to kidnap someone for you?"

"But you're good at entering people's homes without trouble, no? And you can get in and out fast. That's why I need you. You work fast."

"As nice as it is to be praised for my skills, I'm gonna have to decline. I may be a thief but I have my morals. I don't steal people; I steal materialistic things."

He leered at her, chewing on the butt of his cigar.

"You, a worthless thief, is telling me about morals? How pathetic." He held out his arms to the dirty, dark alley. "You live in a place where morals do not exist. Morals can only get you killed in this world. Can your morals guarantee happiness?"

"Don't lecture _me_ on morals, ya godfather wannabe! You wanna look like a don of the mafia? Then, go buy a tasteful suit instead of that shitty playboy knockoff! I've seen boy bands dress better than you, and that's the worst thing to be compared to!"

The man's eyes narrowed. He snapped his fingers. Immediately, another broad-shouldered man stepped in front of Viola and punched her in the stomach. She choked in surprise, cursing at the man.

"It's best if you watch your mouth, girl," the Italian man sneered.

"Go ahead! I can take your bullshit!" she taunted without fear. Bastian was envious of her courage, but then again her words could get her killed. Or him killed. The moment he saw the man peer down at him he had a feeling this would not end well.

The man grinned. He reached into his suit to pull out a dagger where the light glinted off the sharp steel. His eyes burned with malious intent. Bastian's stomach twisted as the man grabbed his head by his hair and forced it up. A scream almost left Bastian, but he was silenced by the cold kiss pressed against his Adam's apple. He was unable to swallow lest he accidentally slice open his throat.

"You might, but can your brother?"

Viola schreeched, twisting in the arms of her captors. "You slimeball! You coward! When I get out of here I'm gonna shove that knife down your throat!"

He laughed at her fierce threats that had no power behind them.

"So, are you going to do what I ask? Or are you goin' to let your _fratello_ die in your stead?" He pressed the blade harder against Bastian's throat. Fear seized his being the moment blood drew from his throat like maple from a tree. Was he to die at the hands of this rougish man?

No, he knew Viola. Her kind heart willing to share her food with hungry children would never allow him to die in her sight. He may not see it, but she saw his pathetic body on the ground.

For several moments there was silence. Then, Viola spoke.

"Who do you want me to kidnap?"

"I knew you would see things my way, _carrisima,_" the man purred in satisfaction. He released Bastian's head. It flopped to the ground hard where his cheek hit the cobblestone. That hurt. "Now, the one I want you to kidnap is a little Earl brat named Ciel Phantomhive."

"P-Phantomhive? As in the family in charge of the Funtom company?" Viola sputtered. Bastian made a similar noise.

The Funtom company was a largely known toy company throughout all the British Empire. First and foremost a confectionary company, their products were the most favorable among parents and children. When he was younger he owned several of their products from their stuffed Bitter Rabbits to toy soldiers. The Phantomhive family managed the company, and it was said the current head of the household brought the company to its famous name today. The family, however, was as just as infamous as their company.

"That'd be how they're known. The little Earl and his family are known by many other names. I need _il marmocchio_ for something I want."

"You realize I don't have the physique to kidnap a man, right?" she mentioned.

The man suddenly broke out laughing, and Bastian knew the reason why. Many nobles knew and feared the Earl of Phantomhive despite his appearance. He should know. He met him once during a party. "The Earl is not a man. Not yet, anyway. He is a child of but twelve."

"You…want me to kidnap a _child?_ No. I can't kidnap a kid."

A child. Lord Ciel Phantomhive was anything but a child, Bastian thought ruefully. There were many rumors surrounding the young child from the moment his parents were killed. None of them were good. Since he gained his title, many nobles underestimated the boy and soon found reason why they should fear him as if he were a grown adult.

"You're goin' to have to. Or would you rather I kill your _fratello_ now?"

Bastian was torn between how he felt about this situation. On one hand he did not wish for Viola to go kidnap the Earl of Phantomhive; though, he also did not want to die here when he swore he would live his life the way he wanted. If anything, he feared for Viola's safety should she make a deal with the Italian devil. Kidnapping the Earl was dangerous, and from the rumors he has heard from various people it would prove to be difficult. The manor was said to be well-protected by an army of trained soldiers. When there is an attempt on the Earl's life they would perish before they could reach the Earl. What could one woman, a thief, do to enter such a stronghold? In the end he would rather die than allow Viola to perish on a fool's errand.

"I'll do it," Viola breathed with finality. It was the exact opposite of what Bastian wanted. "But let Bastian go. I'll go kidnap the Earl as long as you let him go."

"_Mi dispace,_ _principessa._ Your _fratello_ is my bargaining chip with you," he said with no true sincerity. "Get me the Earl, then I'll release him."

"Tch. You really are a coward."

"Yet, this coward has controls your strings, si?"

Viola glared at the man that promised pain and suffering should he harm Bastian. Bastian soon met her gaze, which began to gleam pleadingly as if to say, 'I'm sorry for all of this.' He could only nod his head, wishing her luck for her safety. With a pained crease of her mouth she soon turned and ran out into the darkness of the street. Bastian watched his niece go and prayed to God she would come out of this unharmed. While she may be praying for his safety at the moment (and what he sorely needed from the blood lust in the Italian's eyes), his prayers for her were needed the most.

She would need it to come against the Evil Noble of Phantomhive, the Queen's Watchdog.

* * *

**Hm, short chapter. Okay, next chapter is where Viola really gets to meet Ciel and Sebastian. Though, their meeting won't be the best.**

**Not much to say here. I have to go finish studying for my Humanities midterms tomorrow.**

**Please review!**


	5. Meet the Phantomhives

Chapter 5

Viola pulled her hat further down her head to hide her long locks. She squatted behind a bush in the garden of the Phantomhive manor. Although it was the middle of the day, she was able to get into the garden without any trouble. After all, she's been watching this place since the day before. She should know what everyone in the manor was doing.

She arrived at the manor two nights ago and stayed there all of yesterday. Ever since that Italian guy held Bastian hostage, she ran straight to the manor in order to get this over with. The panic she felt upon realizing that man was going to kill Bastian seized her, disrupting all of her thoughts other than to save her uncle. She had no choice but to accept the demand. So, after she arrived in the late night/early morning, she hid herself in the garden to observe the manor's daily schedule.

In the morning the very attractive butler would wake up his master to get ready for the day and allow him to eat breakfast. Once she saw the Earl of Phantomhive, Viola was sick to her stomach. After breakfast, the Earl would do his lessons with tutors while his butler and four other servants would do their chores. Well, more like the butler would do all of his chores. The rest, excluding the cute old man resembling a grandfather, would screw up their chores before crying to the butler to fix everything. This could be said for the rest of the day where the Earl did his work and the butler would handle everything else. This was the daily routine as far as she could see. Seeing this hectic but normal lifestyle made her ill knowing what she was about to do to disrupt this daily routine.

This entire thing didn't sit well with her. She knew this was going against her morals to kidnap someone. As a thief she was used to stealing inanimate objects-not people. But what other choice did she have? It was either kidnap the head of the Phantomhive family or let Bastian die at the hands of that Italian bastard. Bastian was the only family she had here. She couldn't let him die because her infamy as a thief. Still, she didn't want to kidnap someone. Just the thought of kidnapping someone else frightened her.

_But it's for Bastian, _she reminded herself. _I'm just choosing the lesser of two evils. I have to sacrifice another life to save someone precious to me._

At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Rubbing her eyes with her forearm to wipe away the sweat on her forehead, she glanced down at her pocket-watch (obtained from a noble house). It was about 2:53 in the afternoon. Right about now, the butler would be getting his master's afternoon tea ready. If she can get into the house, she can head for the boy's study to kidnap him. She peeked outside of the bush to the manor. In one of the windows she could see the study. The boy would also be heading for his study where he takes his tea. So she had ten minutes to get the boy and get out. Fixing her hat to hide her eyes, she sighed.

Time to get to work.

Viola crawled out of the bush to head for the rose bushes at the side of the manor. She dived inside and crawled over to the wall, hiding in the shadows. Getting on her knees, she let her head poke out slightly to the window just above her. The window was one of many where she could peer into one of the manor's hallways. The hallway was entirely empty. For this she was relieved for the fact there were only five servants in the manor. She grabbed the windows edge to open it. Heaving herself onto the windowsill, she stepped into the manor for the first time.

_This place sure is swanky, _she thought, impressed. She started running silently down the hallway as she admired the various paintings on the wall. With all this artwork around Viola felt as if she were inside a museum. Or her own home for that matter. In fact the way this manor was decorated resembled their townhouse. _Mom always did love decorating our place. Ugh, Viola, stop it! Get your head in the game!_

She couldn't let anything other than her mission distract her. She had to do this. Bastian's life was on the line.

The manor was similar to her own home so she had an idea of where the room was. She ran through several hallways and made sure to steer clear of the servants. That in itself wasn't too hard. They were too distracted chasing mice from what she saw while she hid in one of the empty rooms to avoid them. Was one of them wearing a cat suit? Huh, these servants were as weird as she thought. Adorable and slightly annoying, but weird. Once their footsteps disappeared, Viola snuck out of the room to silently sneak down the hall.

It took no less than ten minutes to find the room.

Viola found the room in the East wing of the manor. She opened the door, walked it, and slowly closed it behind her. Thankfully, the Earl wasn't here yet. She made certain to stay behind the door so the little Earl wouldn't see her. With a heavy heart she also prepared the chloroform rag to knock out the kid. She knew the effects of this stuff more than anyone she knew, and she was using it to kidnap someone else. Normally, she was the one being kidnapped. How ironic. As she waited for him she took notice of the room.

The study was what she always thought one should look like. The desk was made of a fine dark wood and held intricate carvings. The room itself was lined with bookshelves holdings multiple books just waiting to be read. On top of the desk spoke of how neat its owner was. The books and few documents were piled into neat stacks while a fountain pen stand was in the center. There was also a workbook on top that seemed to be on math. Calculus to be exact.

_How old is this kid?_ she wondered again. He looked no older than twelve from what she could see. How could a kid his age being doing calculus? If she wasn't okay with being outsmarted, she'd be pissed right now. She may not be the smartest person in the world, much less her friends (that was her friend, Ciel's, spot), but even she knew a kid who wasn't legal was smart. Really smart. A genius, really.

Viola was so busy awed by the genius of this twelve year old when she heard the click of the door as it swung open.

"The manor won't be peaceful at this rate," sighed a boyish voice. It was one caught between the age of man and boy. Footsteps came enough to close the door, and she got her first look at the boy.

The Earl of Phantomhive was really just a boy. Standing at least up to her chest, he was dressed in fine dark clothes fit for a noble. His short dark hair looked silky from the back. By the string, she was astonished he might be wearing an eyepatch. From the way his arm was position, he was looking something in his hand. Good. This was going to make things easier.

She took a deep breath similar to when she has to drink medicine. Holding it, she grabbed the boy. The Earl immediately tensed and gasped with a wide mouth. Before he could do so much as scream, Viola shoved the chloroform soaked into his face. He took a sharp breath before falling limp in her arms.

Viola caught the boy before he fell onto the floor. With him in her arms she got her first good look at him. Her breath hitched the moment he saw his pale yet sophisticated face.

_Ciel…_

This boy was almost identical to her best friend, Ciel Michealis. This was so weird! The Earl might be twelve, but he had the few mature features that made up her best friend. What was going on here? First, she finds her identical, gender-bent great uncle. Now she was finding a boy resembling her best friend? Viola knew she was in the past, so what was going on? Why was she finding people looking like people she knew?

Viola shook her head. She didn't have time to wonder about all of this. She had to get out of here before that butler came. Something about him sent a shiver down her spine, and not in a good way. Quickly, she tied the boy's hands and wrists together in case he decided to wake up and fight back. Heaving the Earl onto her back and securing him, she made her way over to the window. She threw open the window, climbing out of it. Swinging a leg over the windowsill, she peered down. The drop down didn't look so bad. Still, she had to be careful. Taking a deep breath, she swung her other leg over and slid out of the window.

She bent her knees as her feet hit the ground for them to absorb the impact. They protested in pain and a little grunt bubbled past her lips. They ached, but she was fine over all. She stood back up again and made a bolt for the forests surrounding the manor, disappearing into its midst.

Viola ran as far away as she could from the manor. She wasn't sure how long she was running for through the forest. The distance from the Phantomhive manor to the city was a good few miles apart. On foot it was going to take hours to even get there. From the fading light of the treetops it was starting to get dark. That meant she had been running for about five hours now with little to no break. She shivered. She didn't want to spend the night in the forest. And since she didn't eat anything for the past two days, she was feeling a bit tired and weak.

She soon decided to stop to rest. Stopping by a tree, she came to a halt and set the boy down against its trunk. She collapsed next to the boy. Her breath came out in heavy pants. Man, she hasn't done this much running in awhile. The kid was pretty light, so she barely even noticed him on her back. Yet, in her condition he could have weight a thousand pounds.

While she was busying catching her breath, Viola examined the boy once more. He was dressed much like Bastian when she met him. He was wearing a nice blue suit with some shorts with it. What got her attention was his eyepatch. How could a boy like him already be in an accident that took away his eye? No child should be injured in such a way. She frowned. It also bothered her how someone as young as him was already the head of his family. He should be having fun and enjoying his childhood. Not running his family. She couldn't even fathom someone Ken's age was already living an adult life. It didn't help he reminded her a lot of Ciel Michealis.

Her friend never did tell her why he wore an eyepatch. All he said was how he got into an accident when he was younger that resulted in the death of his parents and the loss of his right eye. That was how he came to live with his cousin. All of her friends except her pitied Ciel for it. Viola didn't pity him. He didn't pity her when she told him of her hectic childhood. Why should she do the same to him? Pity was uncalled for and they both hated it.

Her heart twinged at the thought of Ciel. Living in the past for two months, she realized for the first time she was homesick. Viola missed all of her friends, her mother and step-father, her siblings…She missed them all. She was so busy trying to survive and keep her uncle safe she didn't have time to be homesick. Now, alone without Bastian, the pain returned thrice fold. She missed teasing Ken for his little crush, hanging out with all of her friends, kissing Arisu goodnight, telling her mother she loved her…She wished she was home.

She couldn't resist the urge to brush his navy-tinted black locks from the Earl's eyes. He reminded her so much of Patchy.

"Life's not really fair, huh?" she chuckled bitterly to herself. They were both living lives they were forced onto. Him as the head of his family so early and her as a thief living on the streets.

"No, it is not," the boy said coldly. He opened his visible eye where her hand had just brushed. His blue eye was full of ice as he glared at her. His lips twisted into a smirk when he saw her wide eyes. "This is certainly new. I have never been kidnapped by a woman before."

"It's not like I wanted to kidnap you! I had to," Viola argued, standing up. She didn't want to look weak in front of this kid.

"Oh? And to whom do I owe the pleasure of being kidnapped by?"

She thought for a minute to unscramble what he just said. She hated it when people spoke in such a flowery way. Why couldn't they just be blunt?

"Viola," she finally said. "Viola Dupree. And you're...Ciel Phantomhive? That's a French name, isn't it?"

"Hmph. I did not expect a commoner such as yourself to know where the name came from. I applaud you," he said sardonically. "Why is it you have kidnapped despite not wanting to?"

"I was hired to, okay?" She frowned. Man, this kid was mean. So much disrespect. She wasn't stupid. Patchy told her his name was of French origin. "If I had a choice, we wouldn't even be here right now. Since I don't, I had the lovely honor of kidnapping you. Congrats, you're my first kidnapee!"

"Hired by whom?"

"Some Italian guy. He was into drugs. He practically reeked of drug money."

He scoffed. "Azzuro Venel of the Ferro family. As expected. He would stoop so low as to have me kidnapped by a woman."

"You don't have to sound so depressed," she muttered. He was acting like being kidnapped by her was an insult. To most men of this time period she guessed it was. Bastian wasn't really happy that the only way they survived was because she was a thief. Being a thief didn't bother him as much as she thought. It was the fact that a woman as working while he wasn't was disgraceful. "Look, like I said I didn't want to kidnap you. I had to."

"Yes, I suppose you're being paid quite a fortune to kidnap me for the Italian mafia," Ciel commented, dryly.

It was her turn to be insulted.

"Excuse me? I'm not being paid anything! I told you I was forced to."

"Then, I suppose you've been promised a night with one of them?"

Viola resisted the urge to backhand him. How dare he! She glared down at the boy with equal emotion. "Listen, you brat. I wouldn't even look at one of the mafia much less touch one of them. I'm doing this in the first place because they threatened to kill my brother if I didn't! Yes, at first they did promise to pay me a lot of money but I turned them down."

For once, the boy looked surprised. "Why would you turn down such an offer? I can tell by your clothes you are a beggar."

"I'm a thief, not a beggar. Big difference. I turned them down because I don't kidnap people. I do steal things from people, but that's all-just inanimate objects. Stealing people, on the other hand, is a whole different matter."

"A thief who does not kidnap. Isn't that ironic?"

"I may be a thief, but I have my morals. Azzuro didn't like my morals, so he decided to kidnap my brother to motivate me to accept the job." She sighed in frustration. "This is why I hate rich people and nobles. They always take advantage of the common people."

"That is how life works. Those at the top are obliged to use commoners how they see fit," Ciel said in a snooty tone.

"See, that is exactly the kind of attitude that makes me hate nobles!" Viola all but growled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She may have come from a noble line herself, but she always hated it. Her mother was always telling her she had to act better than everyone else. Be the bigger person, she said, while remaining aloof and sophisticated. It bothered her how even her mother had that noble mentality. She never liked that because she was raised as a commoner. They were commoners. They weren't nobles anymore. "Commoners outnumber those of the noble class. Don't think they don't matter. Your lifestyle wouldn't be the way it is if it wasn't for the commoners you dismiss so easily. Nobles like you who don't realize you guys have it easy because of commoners make me sick."

"And yet commoners would do anything to receive money. Aren't you contradicting yourself?"

"I told you it's not money! I...I'm going to lose my brother if I don't kidnap you. But it goes against my morals to do something like this." Her emotions were running high. The recent taking of her ancestor and the only person she could trust might die because of her. Yet, the guilt of bringing someone who didn't deserve this at all was going to be on her conscience for who knows how long. This wasn't who she was. She was the kind of person to handle things like this some other way.

Her friends called her the Demon of Justice. She was going to handle this the only way she knew.

Swallowing, Viola leaned down to untie Ciel's bonds. He looked on in further surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Like I said, I'm a thief. Not a kidnapper." She dropped the ropes and helped Ciel to stand up. "I don't kidnap. I can't even stomach the idea of stealing another person, even a noble. Who knows what will happen to you as soon as I hand you over?"

"But didn't you say you had to kidnap me in order to save your brother?"

"I'll find some other way to save him. Listening to someone else's orders just isn't my style," said Viola with a smile. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. You can go back to your noble lifestyle and forget I was ever here. Sorry."

And she meant it. He might have been a noble but he was still a kid that reminded her too much of Ken and Patchy. She missed her little brother. She squashed any thoughts of Ken and Patchy down. The less she thought of home the better.

Ciel scowled. "If you're so sorry, then escort me back to my manor."

"Well, since I did try to kidnap you I can escort you back to the main road."

"I said my manor, not the road."

"And I have by tomorrow night to get back to London. Not all of us are rich enough to have carriages, ya know."

His look soured but he nodded.

Helping the Earl to his feet, Viola led the way towards the road. She spotted it earlier and decided to keep to the forest next to it. She made her way down the direction she was previously running from with the Earl trailing behind her.

The two walked for a few minutes in the fading light and silence. Nothing but the crunching gravel underneath their shoes and the animal nightlife was heard. They walked for a few minutes until they came to the dirt road. One way led towards the city while the other to the countryside. And to her luck, from the direction of the city came a horse drawn wagon. Viola waved down at the old man driving. The wagon trotted to them and came to a stop.

"What can I do fer ya, sir?" asked the old man with the tip of his hat.

"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be heading past the Phantomhive manor, would you?" Viola asked politely. Her voice was deepened to keep her boyish façade up.

"Sure. It's on my way."

"Then, can you take him back there? He, er, went on a walk and got lost." She pointed sheepishly at little Earl Ciel, who stood with his arms crossed and a scowl on his lips. Leaning towards the man, she whispered, "He got away from his escort while he was playing. Poor thing's afraid of the dark. He doesn't want to go home alone."

He blinked in surprise. "Yer not 'is escort?"

"No. I found him wandering in the forest and promised to not leave him alone. But, I'm headed towards the city. Could I trouble you to take him home?"

Glancing at Ciel for a moment, he nodded with a smile.

"Why not? Kids like 'im shouldn' stay outside in the dark fer too long," he replied.

"Thank you!"

Viola walked over to where Ciel, upon hearing the man accept the offer, was climbing into the back of the wagon. The wagon held some hay and empty jugs meant to carry milk. She tipped her own hat with a smile. "Well, little Earl, it was nice meeting you. I'm sorry about all of this."

"I would say it was nice meeting you as well, but we both know how untrue that is," Ciel huffed.

Her uplifted mood faltered. He really reminded her of Patchy. "So mean. That's the only thing you can say to someone you might never see again? And who might die for failing to kidnap you?"

"If you die, that is your fault. I hold no responsibility for you."

_Yup, definitely like Patchy,_ she sighed.

To save her mood she lifted a hand to ruffle the boy's hair. He blinked in surprise, looking up to her smile.

"I won't hold it against you if I do die. This is my fault for not being stronger." She took her hand away to hold it in a wave. "Later, Earl. Meet you in the next life, or something."

With a single wink at him she turned and began to walk back towards the city to accept her fate. While she remained strong in front of him, she was shaking. She was going to get both her and Bastian killed for this. Her friends always said her morality was going to get her killed one day since she was so damn nice. Who knew they were right for once? Then again, she would rather die holding onto her morality rather than live with dishonor. It was how she was. Gulping, she resigned herself to her fate and trekked back to the city.

Never did she see the calculating looking in the Earl of Phantomhive's eyes.

* * *

XXX

* * *

It took Viola most of the night to get back to London on foot and half the morning to find the Italian guy again.

Viola gazed up at the mansion in the northern part of East End. It was a closed off area since, from what she heard, a lot of gang activity went on around this area. She knew it was true from the amount of men in suits patrolled around the area. She didn't want to go near this place, but she had to. For all she knew this was the first and last time she was going to be around here.

She stood in front of the gates where a pair of bodyguards were looking at her with narrowed eyes. A spike of fear engulfed her.

"What d'ya want, kid?" one growled.

"Uh, I'm here to talk to Azzuro Venel? He, uh, told me to kidnap someone for him?" Viola said, nervously.

The two gave her a quick once over.

"Where's the kid?" asked the other.

"I couldn't get him."

"So you came back without him?" the first questioned incredulously.

"Um…yes?" Viola had to admit this was pretty stupid of her. Well, what else was she supposed to do? She couldn't abandon Bastian to that slimeball while she was out roaming London. She made a promise to help him live his life. With no family or allies to help her she was forced to come back here. More than ever did she miss Patchy's wisdom. He would have gotten her out of this without a hitch.

"That was pretty stupid of ya," the second chuckled. "D'ya know what happens to people who don't obey the boss?"

"Yeah, I got a general idea." She held out her arms in resignation. "Just take me to him. Let's get this over with."

As she expected the two guards caught her arms and dragged her into the mansion grounds. Viola has been through this drill more than she liked to admit. She struggled to keep her feet moving as they dragged her up the steps and into the mansion. There was no time to enjoy the scenery of the hallways (most of the decorations bought with drug money, no doubt). They led her further into the mansion where she could see men in suits wandering around, most carrying pistols. It wasn't long before they stopped in one of the many hallways (why did mansions have so many halls?) in front of double doors of fine and intricate design.

They opened the doors to where Viola saw a study practically screaming with wealth. From the plush armchairs to the large paintings on the walls, it all spoke of dirty money. And leaning against the desk in the center was the owner of said money, Azzuro Venel. He had a cigar held between his teeth while a smirk played around it. The two guards dragged her inside and shut the door behind them, sealing her fate. And with the one guard hanging by the wall, Viola had no chance of escape.

"There's my little thief! I had thought you'd finish earlier," he said, casually. He took the cigar out of his mouth. He made a show of looking around. "So. Where's the little Earl?"

"I couldn't get him," Viola answered. She almost sounded lazy, but she was quivering with fear.

He raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't get him? Could you get near him?"

"Oh, yeah. I managed to get him out of his mansion and kidnapped him at first, but I let him go."

"You let him go? And why'd you do that?"

"Because. I felt like it." She shrugged casually.

Viola wasn't really surprised when Venel placed down his cigar on the desk before coming over to her. She also expected the punch in the gut he gave her. Still, it hurt to the point she doubled over. She didn't show her weakness and held in the grunt that was about to escape.

"And you still had the nerve to come back after you failed. I don't know if you English are brave or stupid," Venel commented with a sneer. "Do you not care for your _fratello?"_

"Of course I care about him. I know he wouldn't have me risk my own morality over a deed I'd never be caught dead committing! Only a coward like you would resort to kidnapping a little Earl like Phantomhive!"

"You still speak of morality at a time like this? How sad," he sighed. He shook his head. Wandering back to his desk, he casually pulled out a pistol from a box. Her eyes widened. "Then, I guess you'll die with your morality, no? You'll die knowing because of your morals your _fratello_ died."

Venel pointed his pistol to something leaning against the wall near his desk. Viola originally thought it was a pile of clothes or something until she saw the blond hair. She gasped at the blood and bruises littering Bastian's bound body. He wasn't moving, but she could see from the gasps he was still breathing. So he was unconscious.

"You bastard," she growled. The sight of Bastian's battered body made her burn with renewed hatred. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!"

"I said I wouldn't _kill _him," Venel corrected with a smug grin. He kicked Bastian in the torso, causing him to cry out. Blood dripped from his mouth. "Now that you failed I _will_ have to kill him. What a shame. But, first, I'm going to leave you a little present before you both die."

Vanel snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the two guards brought her to the ground. She was too surprised to do anything as one guard settled on top of her, pinning her hands behind her back. Venel reached down to take off her hat and allowed her hair to spill down around her. She gasped as he grabbed a gathered the ends of her hair into a bunch. He tugged at it painfully.

"I think you and your _fratello_ should match. I want to see your pain twice over in identical screams," he chuckled. "Cut it."

Viola's eyes widened as something sharp cut through her hair. She winced at the now short locks fell against her neck while her blond hair fell into her vision. Shit. She always thought her hair was a bother, but this was humiliating. A man cut her hair when long hair was essential in this era for young woman. Now she was going to be called a man if she ever got out of this.

"There we go. Much better. Now," he got up and pointed the pistol at Bastian with a smirk, "let's see your scream."

"_No!"_ She struggled against one of the mobsters holding her. She was too exhausted from not resting nor eating to do much more than kick and struggle. She stopped breathing upon seeing Venel cock his gun. "No, please! Don't!"

"You should have done what I asked. Then, this wouldn't have happened. Say goodbye!"

"No, Bastian!"

Before Venel could so much as pull the trigger, the door opened from behind Viola.

"Pardon my intrusion," said an elegant, refined but deep voice. "I am here on behalf of my master, the Earl of Phantomhive. We request you release a young woman named Viola Dupree and her brother into our custody."

_Phantomhive?_ She thought with a small gasp. Why would that kid come for her after she tried to kidnap him? She told him to forget about her.

"Phantomhive? So he knows? Ha!" Venel laughed. "Why would he send a Romeo in a swallowtail coat for a little thief?"

"I'm afraid that is my master's concern. We will pay you with what you desired from my master."

She heard a rustling of clothes. But, when she saw Venel's smirk, she knew something bad was about to happen.

"I have what you seek here-" The man was interrupted by a barrage of gunshots. Out of the corner of her eye Viola saw the bullets come from a painting. So he had people waiting in there. She squeezed her eyes closed when she heard a body hit the ground. Someone died because of her. Didn't someone always? Now she had another death riding her with guilt. Pretty soon, this guilt would vanish because she and Bastian were next.

Venel laughed. "Now I've got what I wanted without lifting a finger! Sorry, Romeo, but this game is mine!"

"You sick bastard," Viola growled. God, she hated this man so much. He would do anything to get money and drugs. People didn't matter to him. It was the dirty money he was interested in and he would stop at nothing to get it. People like this should die.

Her thoughts and Venel's laughter was cut short at the sound of coughing. Viola's eyes widened at the sound of the Phantomhive servant. He was the one coughing.

"Who knew the efficiency of guns were so accurate?" said the servant after he finished coughing. "Well, then. I should return these to you."

Before Viola knew it, the two guards and the other mobsters jerked. She saw a bit of blood fly out of the one guard in her sight before the guard on top of her settled his entire weight onto her. All fell silent. Groaning, she wondered what the heck happened. She tried moving her head around, the guard was too heavy. It was impossible to move.

"Oh, dear. Now my clothes are a mess," the servant sighed. "The young master will be quite cross with my appearance upon returning home."

"Wah-You're just a butler! No, I'm not gonna die here!" Venel screamed. "B-Be my bodyguard! I'll pay you twice-No, ten times more than your wages with Phantomhive! You can have all the girls and booze you want! Come to my side!"

The servant-No, that wasn't right. Viola now knew this was the attractive butler she saw at the manor. The _butler_ began to walk towards somewhere and sighed.

"My apologies, Mr. Venel. I have no interest in such things. I am here to do as my master requested. Now, I must hurry and finish this errand. I mustn't be late in preparing the young master's dinner."

Viola had a feeling he was going to finish this errand in the way this whole thing started. She squeezed her eyes shut as the footsteps stopped and Venel began screaming. Who knew a grown man could scream so girlishly? It would have made her laugh were it not for the agony and fear in his scream. She shied away from the noise, hoping it would end soon.

It did with an abrupt cut off.

After the scream of Venel faded, Viola now heard the footsteps approaching her. The body on top of her was lifted, and the butler touched her shoulder.

"Ms. Viola? Are you injured?"

Viola opened her eyes. Her breath hitched at the servant above her. Before, she always saw him from afar and never quite saw his face. She had an odd sense of déjà vu when she saw the very same man who nearly ran her over with his car that Halloween night. This time, however, he was dressed as a butler. The same expression of concern was on his face as well. That concern was different since he was covered in blood and his clothes held bullet holes in them.

_What the hell?_ No, this man couldn't be the one who almost ran her over. It was impossible! Then again, it was impossible for her to see an identical and younger version of Ciel Michealis as well. What was going on here?

She soon realized she was staring at him. She managed to sit up, ignoring the dizzy wave slamming inside her skull. Pieces of her hair fell around her.

"I'm-I'm fine." Her voice said otherwise when it shook. She cursed herself. Damn it! She shouldn't be this shaken up. How many times before has she seen or heard violence of this caliber before? Too many. So, she swallowed back the bile in the back of her throat to force herself to stand. She ignored how her hands trembled. Turning to the butler, she bowed her head in respect. "Thank you so much for rescuing us. My name is Viola Dupree. You're Earl Phantomhive's butler? He sent you?"

"Yes. I am the head butler of the Phantomhive family, Sebastian Michealis," he greeted with a smile. "My master, after returning to the estate, ordered me to retrieve the thief who attempted to kidnap him back."

"What? Why would he do that?" she asked, surprised.

"I do not know. I am simply following the orders of my master. Now, we should get going."

Sebastian went back to Bastian slumped on the floor. Viola focused on him and Bastian rather than the numerous bodies littering the room. Sebastian picked Bastian off the ground to place him onto his back.

"Please follow me, Ms. Viola. It is getting rather late. The young master will not be happy waiting for dinner," he sighed as if that was unacceptable. With a shake of his head he walked out of the room.

Viola stood there for a moment. The past few days have been the most nerve wracking and strangest she's ever had. That was saying something. She had a lot of strange days, but this one was at the top of the list. She meets people who looked identical to the ones she knew in her era while almost getting killed by a drug lord. Now she's been rescued by a man who shouldn't have survived a barrage of bullets? And he only did it because Ciel Phantomhive ordered him to? None of this made sense!

Why would Ciel Phantomhive want her after she tried to kidnap him? He should have forgotten her like she said. Why would he go through this effort to have his butler save both her and Bastian? She had a sinking feeling she knew what Phantomhive wanted. Well, then. It looks like she'll find out soon, wouldn't she?

With narrowed eyes Viola walked out of the room to follow after Sebastian Michealis, hoping at least some of her questions would be answered.

* * *

**Ugh, so...tired. I managed to finish this whole chapter. Finally! I'm supposed to be working on my term paper for my class due soon, but I promised myself I would get this chapter out. It doesn't help I've had to take care of my sick dog the past two days and my mom's gone in another country at the moment. Bleh, I'm tired. Please enjoy this chapter while I go die in a corner.**

**Please review!**


	6. Job Offers

Chapter 6

Viola paced around the unoccupied servant's quarters the butler, Sebastian, led them to. Upon arriving back at the manor, Sebastian led them through the back door and through the lower part of the mansion she never saw the first time. From what she saw, this was the floor where most of the work happened after seeing the spotless but well-used kitchen. He led her into one of the spare and empty servant rooms and placed Bastian on the bed before leaving the room once more. Not even five minutes later, he came back with a medical kit and began to wrap Bastian's wounds while she sat in a chair in the corner watching him work quickly but perfectly. The two stayed silent with but it was occasionally broken by the sounds of yelling and crashes. Sebastian didn't say a word as he finished his work and politely left the room. Now, Viola was waiting for Bastian to awaken.

Waiting for Bastian to wake up was nerve-wracking. She wanted to know if he was okay and nothing was wrong with him. She would never know unless he was awake. Once he did wake up and showed her he was okay, the guilt in her gut would never go away. The reason he got hurt was because of her. If she had paid more attention to her surroundings, those mob bastards wouldn't have gotten the jump on them. Instead, she was paying too much on recording her recent memories. Damn it! In this day and age she should have been more careful and attentive. Here, stealing and murder were one of the things most people could get away with. She shouldn't have been so careless. It wasn't only her well-being she had to worry about. Her great-uncle depended on her for everything now.

_I'm never going to forgive myself if he's seriously hurt, _Viola thought. She didn't want any more deaths on her conscious. She refused to have another person's blood on her hands again. Her hands shook at the very thought of it. _I really hope he's okay._

She paced around the room for awhile, anxiously shooting glances at Bastian's slumbering form. Each minute that passed she began to pace faster due to the extra energy from how nervous she was. She was sure to pass out from the tension when she heard a groan emit from the bed.

"V-Viola?" Bastian moaned.

Viola whipped her head to the bed to find Bastian slowly sit up with a wince. He pressed a hand to his head where a bandage was wrapped around his head. In a heartbeat Viola was there by his side.

"Bastian! Are you okay? Are you in pain? How many fingers am I holding up?" she chattered, holding her fingers in front of his face.

"I'm in a bit of pain but not enough to restrict me. And, um, four fingers?" he answered, uncertainly. He blinked repeatedly as if to focus his vision.

"Actually, I'm holding five fingers. Though, I guess you don't count the thumb as a finger." She laughed weakly at her joke. But, her laugh showed no true amusement and he caught that by the way his eyes narrowed.

"Where are we? Did you complete that awful man's request? That would explain why we're alive," Bastian muttered to himself, contemplative.

"What? No, I didn't do as he said. I almost did, though I let little Earl Phantomhive go." She sighed at his look of disbelief. Oh, boy. She had a lot of explaining to do.

With a mental sigh she began to tell him about her meeting with Ciel Phantomhive to their rescue in the Vanel manor. Though, she left out the miraculous survival of the butler via a bullet barrage and him slaughtering everyone in the mansion, much to her horror. Throughout her explanation, Bastian's eyes slowly widened until they were nearly the size of teacup saucers. She finished with Sebastian bringing them back to the Phantomhive mansion and Ciel wanting them for some reason. That was the only explanation as to why they were rescued by him.

"Viola, are you certain Lord Phantomhive wanted us? Whatever for?" Bastian questioned, incredulously.

"No clue. I don't know why he sent his butler to rescue us. Not that I'm not grateful! Neither of us would be alive or here today."

"I am still unsure about this. Earl Phantomhive does not do things without expecting something in return."

"Well, what do you expect? He's a kid. At his age I was already thinking about the pros and cons of doing things to get toys and games," she mentioned. Ah, she remembered that age. She was much worse back then and got in trouble all the time. It got to the point where she would save bully victims as long as they gave her some sugary treats. It was a sweet deal. Of course, she wasn't like that anymore.

"Yes, but would you blackmail someone in order to get what you want? Despite his age, Lord Ciel Phantomhive has men nearly twice his age eating out of the palm of his hand."

Her eyes widened. "No kidding? Damn. How did that kid learn how to do that? What the hell did the Phantomhives do in this era? In mine they had the Funtom company, which made some of the best chocolate in the UK." She paused and suddenly sighed. "So unfair. I could've won those truffles if I hadn't pulled a vanishing act like Houdini."

"Lord Ciel came upon his title and infamy nearly three years ago," Bastian explained, leaning back against the headboard with a slight wince. "A horrible tragedy occurred where it was said the current head of the Phantomhive household, Lord Vincent Phantomhive, and his wife, Lady Rachel Phantomhive, were killed a fire that enveloped this entire manor where a number of servants were killed along with them. Their bodies were found in a horrific state to the point it was impossible to identify them. Their young son, Ciel, was not identified amongst the bodies so it was assumed he was missing. The incident was the talk of the town, as you would call it, that year. Yet, not a month later Ciel Phantomhive reappeared and later took his father's title to become Earl of Phantomhive. He has lived up to his title since then."

"You're joking! That's the incident that started the Phantomhive curse?" Viola gasped.

"Phantomhive curse?"

"Yeah, in my time this mansion is one of the haunted mansions no one would dare come near," she started, shivering. "That accident you talked about was said to have started a string of unfortunate events that led to the mansion's decay. A few years after that accident the young lord of the Phantomhive house mysteriously winded up dead one day. His wife and child were distraught with what happened. When the child became of age Lady Phantomhive was said to have killed herself because she felt it was her duty to raise her child despite her depression from losing her husband. Then, once the child took the title the same thing happened to him as soon as he had his own wife and child. This caused a lot of people to consider it the Phantomhive curse because of it. By the late nineteen hundreds, the mansion became abandoned. Some say you can still see the wandering souls of the Phantomhives trapped in the manor."

"That's absurd," Bastian scoffed.

"No. It's true. If it isn't, then the girl who was found dead inside the manor is. No one really knows the story, but a girl was found dead with no explanation of how she died. Because of that story, no one really goes near the mansion." She shook her head. "Anyway, he became the head of his family at the age of ten? That's so sad."

"Indeed. Lord Phantomhive may have the appearance of a child, yet his heart is hardened much like an adult's. All the nobles of England respect and fear his family."

Viola tilted her head at the small amount of fear in Bastian's voice. Every time he spoke of the little Earl he was so afraid like the wizards in _Harry Potter_ saying Voldemort's name. It intrigued her.

"Why are they afraid of them?" she asked.

Before Bastian could answer, there was a knock on the door. It soon opened to show Sebastian was the one there.

"Pardon me, but my young master would like to have a word with the both of you," he said with a polite yet faked smile.

The two exchanged an uncertain glance. Viola was silently asking Bastian if he wanted to go meet him and if it was okay. By the slight nod of his head, he agreed it might be best to meet the Earl. If only to see why they were there.

"Okay," Viola answered. She stood up from the bed when she remembered something. "Bastian, can you walk?"

"I am fine," he said. To prove his point he swung his legs off the side of the bed before standing up. Other than the slight sway on his feet, he appeared to be fine as he said. Still, with all those injuries on him she worried.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but will this talk with the Earl take long? I don't want my brother to push himself," she inquired from Sebastian.

"I don't suppose it will take long depending on the matter my master wishes to discuss," said Sebastian with a small thoughtful expression.

"Right." She frowned. She knew butlers were all about serving their masters. Weren't they also supposed to take care of their guests' well-being? Something about this butler in particular rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't like it at all. "Can you take us to Earl Phantomhive now?"

"Of course. We mustn't keep him waiting." With a small bow he stepped aside to let Viola and Bastian out first. The two did so and walked out into the hallway, waiting for him to close the door and lead the way. Once he did, he walked in front of the two to lead them through the manor.

Viola trailed after Sebastian through the halls uncertainly with Bastian behind her. While he was looking curiously through the lower parts of the house as they trekked up to the first floor where the rest of the manor appeared, she was staring at Sebastian's back. She really didn't like knowing this man was identical to the one that nearly ran her over on that Halloween night. From the way he looked to the way he spoke, it was exactly like that man's. There was also the matter of his last name. It was Michealis-the same last name as her friend. Why was it that was his last name? Being in the past, she wouldn't have questioned it. It was the feeling of _something_ that made her think otherwise. Was it coincidence she would meet two people in the past who bore similarities to those she knew in her present? One who looked and acted like her best friend yet he was a twelve-year-old little Earl, and the other a man who held her best friend's name?

_There's something really weird about this,_ she thought, scowling. Many may call her paranoid but she had the right to do so. After what happened in her own past, those strange feelings she had were normally right. Because she was in the physical past, she couldn't figure out why she was having those feelings. _I need to get more facts. I don't know what's going on!_

Yes, she would definitely figure out what was going on when she had the time. For now, she had to focus on her on-coming discussion with little Earl Ciel Phantomhive.

Before either Viola or Bastian knew it, Sebastian led them down the hallway on the third floor to a very familiar door. Viola peered nervously at the study door she had entered hours ago. It was strange how just a few short hours ago she stood in front of this very door to kidnap someone. How ironic her life was becoming. First, she meets her great-uncle, who happens to be her twin in every way, and now the very person she kidnapped saved them and wanted them for some reason.

_Someone up there must hate me,_ she decided. She wasn't as religious as her mother, so she supposed this was some kind of justice. And that was ironic as well. _I'm called a demon of justice and yet some divine power is screwing with my life. Oh, when will the irony end?_

Sebastian knocked on the door while Viola was in her musings.

"Young master, I have brought the Dupree siblings," he said through the door.

"Come in," said the posh yet childish voice of the earl.

He opened the door, stepping inside to the side to allow Bastian and Viola to enter. Being the gentleman he was, Bastian let Viola enter before him and followed after her. Viola walked inside to find little Ciel sitting behind the large, fine wooden desk waiting patiently. From the chair to the desk, she couldn't help but think he was a child playing a grown-up's game. Yet, his smirk and his upright posture spoke the truth. He meant business. She would be lying if she thought he didn't look creepy. From behind, there was the distinct click of the door closing. Sebastian stepped towards his master's side silently.

"Er, you wanted to see us?" Viola asked, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"Indeed. There are a few things I wish to discuss with you, Ms. Dupree," he answered. He leaned back in his chair still sporting that unnerving smirk. A bell rang in Viola's head, which normally sounded when she sees her own Ciel smirk like that. That was the smirk of someone who was about to manipulate another person. "But, I wish to extend my relief to see you and your brother are well."

"Yeah, though, I can't say the same for that Vanel guy," she retorted automatically. She was so used to Ciel's own sarcastic remarks it was almost second nature to retort to them. "Not to be rude, Lord Phantomhive, but I have to ask why you went ahead and had your butler rescue me and my brother? And right after I tried kidnapping you?"

His polite facade dropped. His smirk didn't change, yet the very feel of it became somewhat more cruel. "As I would expect from an American. Blunt, just as I suspected. It seems everyone from your country does not know the meaning of the word, 'manners.'"

"Excuse me? I was born and raised in London for most of my life! And, really, you're calling _me_ rude? Speak for yourself, little man. Don't make assumptions based on how I talk and act."

"Viola!" Bastian hissed. He tugged on her sleeve. Shooting her a scolding look, he turned to the little Earl with a small bow of his head. "Please, forgive her, sir. She's still in shock after such a traumatic event."

"Of course," Phantomhive replied with the same polite tone. "I will forgive her this once, Lord Emrys. Since she is your servant, I am not surprised she has little to no manners." He was practically grinning when both Viola and Bastian tensed, staring at him with wide eyes. "Do not look so surprised. It wasn't hard to see you are the missing Emrys heir of Count Emrys. You may dress and look like an East End urchin, but your speech is that of a noble. And, with your face plastered on every newspaper it was not hard to guess who you were."

"I knew we should've worked harder on the accent," Viola muttered to herself. Damn it. Bastian still spoke like a noble no matter how much she reminded him to speak like an East End native. She narrowed her eyes at him. "So, what are you going to do now? Is that why you rescued us? So you could give Bastian back to his family and put me behind bars for kidnapping him? Because he left on his own accord and I met him on the streets."

"And why would I do that?"

This time, Viola raised an eyebrow in shock. Beside her, she noticed Bastian stare at the little Earl with barely veiled knew who Bastian was. That wasn't much of a surprise. What was surprising was the fact they weren't going to turn them over to Scotland Yard or report them.

"Wait, you're not going to report us to the police? But, why?"

"The search for the heir of the Emrys house is of no concern of mine," Ciel stated, firmly. "A simple case as that is the Scotland Yard' jurisdiction. And because Lord Sebastian does not wish to be found and assumes a different identity I will not say a word. The Yard and I are not on good terms."

"Oh, for the love of-You want something from us, don't you?" she asked, exasperated. It grew when she saw the three men in the room shoot her varying degrees of surprise. "Please, little Earl. You wouldn't save us and not turn us in out of the goodness of your heart. I know your type. You want something from us."

Bastian frowned. "Forgive her, Lord Phantomhive. She dislikes the way nobles speak. She finds it all unnecessary."

"For a good reason! Why can't you people just say what you want instead of using all these words? It's so annoying!"

Ciel frowned himself at her blunt tone.

"All manners aside, she is correct. There is a reason why I rescued the both of you. I wish for you to work for me," he stated.

Bastian's jaw dropped open. For a moment, Viola was proud of him. He was at least getting rid of some of his manners. But, her own jaw joined him. Of all the things she expected the boy to ask (toys, money, power?), he simply wanted them to work for him? So, her next response was well justified.

"What the f-" Viola started to shout. She was interrupted when Bastian, who, by this point, knew how Viola would react, slipped his hand over her mouth.

"With all due respect, Lord Phantomhive," he said in a calm tone, "but why in the world do you want us to work for you? And exactly for what?"

"I want the two of you to work as my servants here in my manor," said Ciel with a smirk.

Sebastian the butler started to look astonished at his master's decisions for a moment before he quickly caught himself. But, that moment was all Viola needed to see. He didn't know what his master was planning as well.

"The reason for this is because of your line of work, Ms. Dupree. As a thief no doubt you have gathered enough information from the people you have stolen from. You rather talented in gathering information in a...less than conventional way. That is a skill I might find useful in the future. And, from what I saw today, you are rather loyal to the people you care about. You risked your own life to avoid kidnapping me despite your chance. It is quite admirable, if not foolish."

Viola moved Bastian's hand from her mouth, which was set in a firm line. Of course. Nobles like this one would want to use her for her thieving skills. From what Bastian told her, the little Earl was good at blackmailing. If he paid her for her skills, she wouldn't mind working for him to a certain degree. Still...

"Okay, I understand that. Still, why a servant? Wouldn't I be more useful out on the streets?" she asked.

"I would prefer it if you were somewhere I may have easier access to."

"In other words you don't trust me," she scoffed. That made more sense. She may be loyal, but even he knew if he crossed her that loyalty would end. He wanted her to be fully loyal to him. What better way than to have her serve him? Her lips twitched up. "Oh, you're a smart kid. I definitely underestimated you. What if I said no?"

"Then, perhaps while I speak to the Scotland Yard next time, Lord Sebastian's location may slip from my mouth," he said, smirking.

She really underestimated this kid. She thought her Ciel was the only kid who could be manipulative to this degree. To think this twelve year old boy could push them into a position like this. Considering how he rescued them from death, Viola had to repay him somehow. When he spoke of her loyalty it also meant she would repay debts. However, this wasn't her decision only.

Viola glanced to Bastian, who met her eyes. If he was blackmailing them, then it was obvious they had no choice. She could see Bastian felt the same about debts as her. They had to work for this child if Bastian didn't want to be discovered.

"Then, Lord Phantomhive, we accept," Bastian answered for them both.

Ciel gave an innocent smile that mimicked her Ciel's a little too much after he managed to convince teachers why Viola shouldn't be in trouble. It was one where he was victorious in getting what he wanted.

"I am glad to hear that."

While he was pleased, Viola couldn't help but feel unsettled by this. Why did she feel like she just signed a deal with a devil?

* * *

XXX

* * *

"No, forget it. I'm not doing it!"

"Viola, stop being childish. You have to do it!"

"No!"

"Viola!

"Bastian!"

Viola watched as Bastian pinched the bridge of his nose to possibly stave off a headache. She folded her arms stubbornly, giving him a slight glare.

"Viola, you are a _woman,_" Bastian said, firmly. He matched her glare as she stood in front of him as her mirror image. Now that Viola's hair was short it matched his own style perfectly. "Therefore, you can have no other job than _that."_

"But, a _maid?_" she spat in distaste. "I've never felt this-this insulted before! Just because I'm a woman I'm automatically expected to be a maid? I don't believe this!"

"Yes, you are."

"That's not fair! You get to work in the kitchen and you had the choice of being a footman! Why don't I get that choice?"

Viola has never felt like this before. How could a job insult her like this to the point they were already arguing about it. And in the tailor room of their master, no less!

It was the day after they accepted Ciel's job offer in the early morning. After a good night's rest in the room Sebastian led them to, they were more energized than ever. It was the first time in two months they got to sleep in a comfy bed without worrying about getting robbed. When it came time to wake up they were given a hot meal (another first in a while) by Sebastian to fill their empty stomachs. She had to admit the food was heavenly compared to the stale bread they've had for meals. After having their fill, Sebastian then took them to the manor's sun room where he proceeded to force them into a chair to cut their hair. Viola needed the much appreciated hair cut after most of it was hacked off. By the time they were finished, both of them were sporting the same style, which cut above their ears. Bastian cringed at the look on her since it was inappropriate for a girl to have their hair cut so boyishly. Apparently, their new master thought it would be funny to have them look like the twins they claimed to be (although, he knew they just looked alike and not related at all).

No sooner than that they were told what positions in the household they would hold. Sebastian gave Bastian the choice to either work as a footman or be the cook's assistant. Bastian told her he loved being in the kitchen to bake, so it was no surprise he chose the latter. Unfortunately, Viola had no say when she was told she would be a maid.

She didn't take the news very well. Even now, as they were going to be measured for their uniforms, she protested.

"You are going to be a maid and that's final," Bastian ordered in a no-nonsense tone. As if he were treating her like a child.

Viola let out a huff, dropping herself onto one of the lush armchairs in the room. "I was hired to be a thief-in-disguise. I'm not supposed to be a bloody maid! This isn't what I signed up for!"

"We have no choice in this matter. Master Ciel is the one who decides what we are to do."

"This is all his fault! I can't believe I felt pity for the damn brat. He's a devil child in disguise, I tell you!" she exclaimed.

_He's just like Patchy. Too much like him,_ she added to herself.

"Good. Because your pity is unneeded," said their new master as he entered the room. Right behind him was Sebastian and a woman with red hair. She was dressed rather fashionably for this era. Obviously from the large briefcase in her hand she was the tailor. Right behind her was a young girl a year or two younger than her. The girl had to be related to the tailor because she had the same red hair, though no glasses.

"Ms. Hopkins, these are my new servants. They will need to be measured for their uniforms," Ciel instructed the woman as he set himself in a chair, crossing his legs almost girlishly.

Viola didn't like the way Ms. Hopkins eyed them. She looked like she wanted to devour them. It was kind of frightening. Bastian seemed to think so as well since he visibly shuddered.

Suddenly, Ms. Hopkins suddenly grabbed Viola from the chair as she was the closest to her. She squeaked as she felt the older woman press her body from behind her and cold hands slipped inside her shirt. Her eyes widened as they nearly groped at her chest.

"Oh, my! I knew it! You _are_ a girl!" Ms. Hopkin's squealed excitedly in her ear. "With such a boyish hairstyle I thought you were an effeminate boy!"

"Wh-What are you-Ah!" Viola gasped and squirmed at the hands poking and prodding around her chest dangerously close to her breasts. Her cheeks grew hot when she realized what this must have looked like to the men in the room. One of the woman's hands actually had the audacity to grope her chest, earning a squeak, while the other trailed across her waist down her leg. "Don't t-touch me there!"

"You have such a tiny waist. Yet, your bosom is quite the opposite!" Ms. Hopkin's began to lift the shirt to peer down at Viola's bare waist. However, just as she lifted it, Viola realized she was lifting it too high. High enough to see something no one else should.

"Stop it!" Viola yelled, angrily. She twisted herself out of the woman's arms and ran over to Bastian. She hid behind him, pressing her face into his shoulder. The room suddenly felt too hot. Oh, God. She was so embarrassed. That was the first time anyone touched her that intimately. And, a woman, no less!

_I'm officially scarred for life,_ she whimpered. Being molested like that wasn't fun. Did that woman not know the meaning of personal space? _Unclean! Unclean!_

"Hm...Did you take those two off the streets?" Ms. Hopkins asked Ciel, curiously. "I could feel her ribs more prominently and her waist is thinner than I'd imagine."

"The young master believed it was time to hire more servants when he noticed these two," Sebastian explained with a smile. "Out of the goodness of his heart he decided to take them in. That is why they aren't well-fed or healthy yet."

_Goodness of his heart? Yeah, right,_ Viola thought, snorting softly. If the goodness of his heart was blackmail, she would hate to imagine what the dark part of his heart was.

"That explains it. For her I can make a guess for her size so it will still fit after she does fill out." Viola peered over Bastian's shoulder to see Ms. Hopkins eye Bastian. "As for this one I probably don't need to measure her. They're almost the same size barring the chest measurement."

"Pardon me? I'm a man!" Bastian sputtered, horrified.

Viola couldn't stop a small giggle coming past her lips. She hated to admit it, but Bastian _did_ look a bit like a girl. He had to be to look identical to her. By the smirks on Ciel and Sebastian's faces, they thought the same. Even that girl who came with Ms. Hopkins was hiding a smile. This was probably humiliating for Bastian, though. She could feel his muscles tense as he ducked his head. Most likely to hide his embarrassment.

"What? You're joking!" Ms. Hopkins walked over to him to place a hand on his chest. She gasped, eyes beginning to twinkle. "Oh, my! How could such a young man still have a face of a boy? What an adorable appearance! So feminine..."

Viola stepped away from Bastian the moment she saw that weird twinkle in her eyes. She suddenly felt afraid for both herself and Bastian.

_Okay, this lady is _way _too obsessed with girls and young boys._

"Um, Auntie? Perhaps you should measure them now," uttered the girl, who was quiet up until now. Even her voice was soft. "Don't they need their uniforms today?"

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, we would like to have them working as soon as we can. So, would it be possible to finish their uniforms by today?"

Ms. Hopkins huffed. "Fine. Go ahead and spoil my fun, Mr. Stiff. Matilda, would you prepare my book and write down their measurements?"

"Yes, Auntie."

Against Viola's will, she was the first to be measured. She stood on top of a prepared stool nervously while Ms. Hopkins took out a measuring tape. She ducked her head. It felt as if she were on display with everyone staring at her while the tailor took her measurements. Goodness, she missed just going to a store and buying already prepared clothes. She fidgeted uncomfortably when Ms. Hopkins measured her from head to toe. It didn't help the woman was humming appreciatively at her chest. So, when it was over she got off the stool and as far away from the woman as she could.

Then, it was Bastian's turn.

Viola watched jealously as her ancestor got onto the stool and stood still patiently. He must have been used to this. Being rich and all, he most likely had his own tailor. The girl, Matilda, stood to the side with a book and pen where she had been taking measurements. While Ms. Hopkins called out his measurements just as she did with her, Matilda obediently took them down. But, occasionally, Viola noticed Matilda would look up at Bastian with a faint blush sprayed across her cheeks. It amused her as Bastian would look at Matilda as well and when their eyes met they would look away. Ooh, she recognized those signs.

_Well, well, well. He really _is _a boy,_ she thought with a grin. So, her great-uncle was capable of love after all. During their time together, she almost thought Bastian was attracted to the same sex since he would rarely let his eyes linger on women. Even in the East End, there were some girls that were potentially attractive. Yet, he ignored all of them. The prostitutes especially despite their catcalls. Now, here he was blushing at a tailor's assistant. _This will be interesting to see where it goes._

Indeed, it would.

Before long, Ms. Hopkins was finished. She walked over to her materials to begin working, telling them sharply to leave the room so they could start working.

"Alright. Ms. Hopkins, please inform us when you are finished with your work," Ciel ordered Ms. Hopkins despite her being much older than him. "In the meantime, Sebastian, show Bastian and Viola around the manor and inform them of their duties. I'll be in my study, working."

"I shall bring you your afternoon tea, then," Sebastian said with a small bow. He walked over to the door and opened it. "We shall leave you to your work, Ms. Hopkins."

She huffed, barely acknowledging the man.

Ciel nodded before walking out of the room and down the hall.

"Well, then. Shall we start our tour?" Sebastian asked the siblings.

"Why not?" Viola said with a small shrug. Bastian probably needed to see the rest of the house and how the servants were. She already saw what kind of tomfoolery went on around this place.

She never noticed the hidden displeased look on Sebastian's face before he was smiling again.

"Very well. Let us begin."

For the next two hours Sebastian showed them around the mansion. To say the least Viola was very impressed with what the inside looked like. Before, she only saw the outside of it and the garden. Everything inside was just as extravagant from the brief glance she had before. It was just what she imagined a noble's house to look like. From the rich paintings to the expensive decorations, they all suited and complimented the surroundings. Best of all, it wasn't overly done like in the Vanel manor. Some of the decorations were subtle yet still gave the fineness that only expensive things could achieve. Viola had to admit it was a little sad how this mansion fell into ruin in the future.

Bastian looked impressed with the manor as well. But, he must have noticed something wrong because he had a strange expression on his face.

"Mr. Sebastian, may I ask a question?" Bastian asked as they entered the room containing most of the plates they used for important guests only. They were stored within glass china cabinets for display. Viola was almost afraid to go near them in fear of breaking all of it. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Of course. What is your question?" he responded, pausing in his explanation.

"How many servants work here in the manor? I noticed we had not encountered any of the other servants."

"Including myself and the both of you, there are currently seven servants working within this manor."

Bastian's eyes widened. "Seven? For a manor this size?"

"Ah, yes. I suppose that would seem a bit strange, wouldn't it? But, the young master does not feel it is necessary to have many working for him when he is the only one residing here."

"I'm not surprise. The kid seems kind of a loner," Viola muttered. She knew Ciel was living virtually alone in this big place. Yet, how could he live in this big place knowing he was the last of the Phantomhives? With that kind of knowledge it wasn't a surprise she hated big houses.

Sebastian nodded, but looked curious about the last word.

"The young master prefers to be alone. It is a rather strange habit, you could say." He turned back to the china cabinet. "Now, Viola, one of your duties as a maid is to ensure each plate and utensil are polished to a shine before the young master has guests for dinner. I will have no less than shining, understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Sebastian."

Internally, Viola was grumbling. Great. She knew the butler was a hardass from what she saw earlier. Now, she was working for the prick. Damn it. This was going to suck. Chores didn't bother her in the least. With a mother who worked late hours and a stepfather who had to travel for business she was often the one looking after her siblings. She was used to hard work. But, she didn't want someone on her back to do everything perfectly. That kind of thing pissed her off.

She was broken from her grumbling when she heard girlish whines coming closer. Turning around, she saw a tower of plates being carried by a young woman with red hair and glasses. It was the maid Viola saw the other day. The only other maid, really. She looked as if she was concentrating on carrying the plates, which took all of her focus.

"Ah, Mey-Rin. Would those happen to be the new china we ordered?" Sebastian asked, walking over the woman.

The woman, Mey-Rin, squeaked, startled. She shifted her head to the side to see them properly. When she saw Sebastian her cheeks flushed.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Sebastian! They just came in, yes, they did!" she chirped. But, she paused when noticing Viola and Bastian. "Um..."

"Viola, Bastian, this is our maid, Mey-Rin," Sebastian introduced. He said this as he grabbed some of the plates from Mey-Rin. This was good since Viola noticed the tower began to sway dangerously. "Mey-Rin, these are our new servants, Viola and Bastian Dupree. Viola will be working alongside you as a new maid."

"A-A new maid? It's nice to meet you, Viola, yes, it is!" Mey-Rin exclaimed happily and nervously. If that was even possible. Viola tensed when she started to automatically bow. "It'll be an honor to work with you-"

Viola saw the plates begin to dangerously tip over. Without a second thought she grabbed some of the plates and steadied the pile. She grunted since the plates were a bit heavy.

"Yeah, let's work hard, okay? So, no bowing," Viola laughed, nervously. "We're equals here. I don't really need to be bowed at."

"Oh! Right!"

Viola glanced to the side where she noticed Sebastian smirking at her in small amusement. A slight glare was in her eyes.

"Mr. Sebastian, do you think you can help us with the plates here? They're heavy," she said in an overly sweet tone.

"You are managing just fine on your own," he retorted.

_It's official. I don't like him._ She really didn't like him. He may be hot, but he was a jerk underneath that pretty face of his. Those two combined were a definite 'no' on her potential boyfriend list.

"I don't think the 'young master' will appreciate it if we drop his new china plates, now will he?" Viola began to slip her hands out from underneath mockingly. The plates began to tip over once more, earning a squeak from Mey-Rin in surprise.

In a flash Sebastian was at their side. He grabbed the plates from underneath and easily lifted all of it so he was the one carrying it now. With the weight off of Viola and Mey-Rin they were able to breathe easier. Inwardly, Viola was smirking. Hanging out with Ciel taught her how to many things-including how to manipulate people. It was a skill she rarely used, but when put into use it was incredibly fun.

"When did the young master hire you?" Mey-Rin asked, relieved. Now that she didn't have the plates she was much easier to talk to.

"He hired us yesterday," Bastian said. "He was showing us around while Ms. Hopkins finishes our uniforms."

"M-Ms. Hopkins? She's here? Oh, dear..."

"Let me guess. She touched you inappropriately, too, didn't she?" Viola sighed.

Mey-Rin's face became redder. She took that as a confirmation.

"Mey-Rin, has Baldroy finished with the preparations for the young master's lunch?" Sebastian asked, returning back to the group. While they were talking, he had already set the plates into the cabinet.

"Hm...Last time I saw him in the kitchen he was working on-"

Before Mey-Rin could finish her sentence, there was a loud explosion that rocked the very foundation of the manor. The fragile china around them rattled dangerously. Bastian yelped, grabbing Viola's arm. Mey-Rin and Sebastian didn't look too alarmed by it. Instead, Mey-Rin looked sheepish while Sebastian sighed in exasperation.

"What on Earth was that?" Bastian asked, alarmed.

"That would be Baldroy cooking," Sebastian answered.

"MR. SEBASTIAN!" two male voices called out from the distance, followed by the sound of pounding feet.

The next moment later three males came running into the room. Two of them were blond haired males. One was a short boy with strawberry blond hair who couldn't be much older than Viola and Bastian with a straw hat hanging from his neck. The other was a taller, scruffy man dressed like a chef. The last male was an older gentleman already in his seventies or so and he was dressed much like a butler. It was the gardener, the chef, and the house steward, respectively. Viola was taken by by the charred appearance of the chef.

"What is it, Baldroy, Finny?" Sebastian asked, already sounding resigned. "Have you burned down the kitchen yet again, Baldroy? And the garden is most likely in a state of ruin once more, isn't it, Finnian?"

The gardener and the chef nodded with the same sheepish expression Mey-Rin had earlier. Viola knew for a fact this was a daily occurrence.

"Well, I will take care of lunch preparations as well as fix the garden," he said, sighing. Viola would have almost felt sorry for him. _Almost._

"Thanks, Mr. Sebastian!" the younger blond boy chirped, already perking up. His turquoise eyes soon caught sight of Viola and Bastian. "Oh, we have guests!"

"Not guests, Finny. Servants. They'll be working with us, yes, they are," Mey-Rin said, happily.

"Eh? These two boys?" asked the chef, Baldroy. Unlike the others, he was the only one with an American accent like Viola.

"I'm a _girl,_" Viola stressed with a smile. Alright! Another American in the house! Now, she didn't have to feel lonely in the accent department. "I'll be working as the maid alongside Mey-Rin. My brother, Bastian, will be your assistant in the kitchen."

"What? I don't need an assistant! I'm a master chef! I can cook on my own!"

"That may be so, but it will be progressively safer if you have young Bastian to assist you in preparing meals," Sebastian answered. "In fact, preparing meals will move much faster with him there to help."

Baldroy eyed Bastian, who shifted uncomfortably. "What are you good at makin'?"

"Um, I can prep most ingredients for cooking and I am rather skilled at baking," answered Bastian, blushing.

Sebastian's eyebrows raised. "Oh? You can bake?"

He nodded.

"Hm...Well, I suppose you can also assist me in making the young master's desserts and snacks. He has a rather large sweet tooth, as you would say."

"Doesn't he have his own confectionery company? I'm really not surprised he loves sweets," Viola snickered. Finally, there was some difference between her Ciel and the Earl. Ciel. Patchy, as she will call him to not get the two confused, did not enjoy sweets despite how much his cousin bakes. He said it didn't taste as good for him. Ciel, the Earl, must have loved sweets.

"Indeed."

"Wow! It's nice to meet you, then, Viola and Bastian!" Finny exclaimed. "That's really swell! I never saw identical twins before!"

"Ho, ho, ho," chortled the old man, who bowed at them. At least she knew his name was Tanaka as she often heard the other servants shouting that name sometimes a few days ago. Viola took that as his way of greeting them.

"I guess that's fine. The more, the merrier, like it goes!" Baldroy walked over to Bastian and Viola, patting the both of them on the back with a grin. "Welcome to the family, you two!"

_Family_? Viola thought, surprised. She never thought she would hear that word again. That word was only used around Bastian, and that was because he was her great-uncle. Could she become a part of a family again? She glanced over at Bastian, who shared her surprise. When he caught her eye he gave a small smile. _Maybe...Maybe it would nice to be apart of a family again._

More than anything, Viola missed her mother and step family. She missed Ken trying to act mature, little Arisu's smiles, her stepfather, Jounichi or Joe as he went, smothering his children with gifts from around the world, and her mother's overall kindness. She missed all of it during her time here. Bastian was her great-uncle, yes, but even he couldn't replace the love of a family. He must have thought the same because she knew _she_ couldn't replace his mothers and sisters. The pain of losing her family like she did was too much to bare. Maybe if she worked here, where the servants all treated each other like family, the pain would dull so she could enjoy her time here until she found a way back home.

She looked at the smiling faces of Mey-Rin, Baldroy, Finny, Tanaka and even that prick Sebastian.

"Yeah! Thank you!" Viola and Bastian thanked, both sharing the same idea.

It would be nice to be apart of a family again, no matter how strange the circumstances were. Viola had a feeling she would need to count on these people in the future. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

* * *

XXX

* * *

**Oh, my God...Too much writing! Okay, the ending totally sucked. That's because I was running out of ideas on how to make this chapter end and it was getting _way_ too long. So, sorry if the ending sucked. Next chapter will come in the plot of the _manga_ timeline. That's right. Not the anime. I never really liked the anime version, though, I liked some episodes. Heck, I never even finished the end of season 1 and only watched part of season 2! I really don't like the anime.**

**Bleh, okay, I'm gonna stop talking.**

**Please Review!**


	7. Info Gathering

Chapter 7

Bastian knew not much time had passed since both he and Viola began serving the young Lord Phantomhive, Ciel. Yet, he was almost surprised when he suddenly found himself in a carriage on the way back to London after but a month since they were hired.

He stared out the window as the carriage rolled through the streets in the richer part of London. He felt uneasy to see this part despite having lived there during summers with his family. Yet, he spent much time within East End he was wary of the more pleasant side of society. Viola, whom sat across of him next to Ciel, did not share his fear as she peered out the window excitedly. Since Sebastian wished for them to accompany them to the city as the only two other servants, they were allowed to ride inside the carriage with him. Viola had never been inside a carriage before and grew excited the closer they got to London. That was due to her knowledge being limited to what this time of year was. Her smile was bright but not for much longer.

"What are you smiling for?" Ciel inquired, glancing up from the formal letter in his hand. It was because of that letter Bastian was not surprised they were back in London. He recognized the seal on the letter.

"Nothing. Just admiring the town," she replied. Her smile suddenly appeared more melancholy.

He scoffed. "A commoner like you mustn't come to this side of London before. You're quite lucky to be here."

"Actually, I came here a few times to break into some houses. Speaking of being here," Viola suddenly said, "why are we here in London? As in me and Bastian?"

"There are a few matters I must attend to. One of them involves your expertise and knowledge."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You mean I'm actually going to do what you really hired me for?"

Ciel nodded.

Bastian was slightly surprised. For the past month Viola was forced to act in a different manner than what she was originally hired for. Acting as a maid for Ciel made her quite unhappy, yet not once has she complained. Bastian could tell she wanted to from her posture and subtle glares at the young lord and his butler. Now it was time for Viola to being her original purpose. There was one thing Bastian wondered.

"I understand that. But, why must I be here as well? Especially during the Season?" Bastian asked nervously.

"The Season? What's that?" Viola asked, confused.

"The Season is a period of time where aristocrats come to London to partake in many social events," explained Sebastian as he opened the carriage door. They hadn't realized the carriage had stopped. "Lord Sebastian is most likely worried his family may discover him while we are in town. The Emyrs never missed a Season."

"Please, Mr. Sebastian. Call me Bastian," he said. Sebastian formed the habit of calling him by his formal name in private. Why he did it, he had no idea. He never ceased to break the habit. Quite frankly it irritate him. Now that they were equals in serving another noble Bastian did not want to be seen as anything higher. He was trying to put that part of his past behind him in this new life.

"It's all a waste of time," Ciel stated, climbing out of the carriage. "If it weren't for the letter, I wouldn't be here. I hate crowded places."

"As do I. I'm always forced to go to the balls and other sorts by my sisters," Bastian agreed, following Ciel. He shuddered at the memories of being forced to escort his sisters as they attempted to attract suitors. Not to mention the multiple times he had to escort Lucinda. Those were the most miserable times of his short life.

"That bad, huh? I thought parties were..." Viola trailed off as Bastian helped her step out of the carriage. Her eyes drifted to the impressive townhouse in front of them with the rose bushes surrounding the porch of the building and the gates bearing the Phantomhive crest. She suddenly paled and gasped. "Ciel, you live here?"

"It is my townhouse."

Ciel said nothing more as he walked past the gates Sebastian had opened and towards the small manor. Bastian and Viola followed after them, although Bastian noticed Viola was in a daze.

"Perhaps being away from the manor is fine for a change," said Sebastian, holding the door open for them. "Isn't it much more peaceful without those four by your side?"

Bastian silently agreed as he entered the large foyer designed in the stylish Victorian manner with checkered tiles. As much as he had grown fond of Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finny, he often wondered why he liked them. For the life of him he couldn't imagine why Ciel would hire those three as his servants. None of them could do their jobs properly at all. They would attempt to do the chores laid out for them. Then, the end result would turn out disastrous. They would eventually go to Sebastian, crying, and Sebastian would be the one completing their chores as well as his own. How on Earth did he manage to do all of that? It was impossible! Yet, he was learning the word 'impossible' had one exception: Sebastian Michealis.

No matter the order his master gave him Sebastian would complete it and more. His work was exceptional and perfect in every way. Really, he was the butler Bastian himself wished he had although Marcus could never be replaced. Where on Earth did Ciel find a man like him? He would never know.

As he thought of the old butler he grew up with a pang of homesickness hit him. He missed Marcus greatly. He was like a second father to him. In the past whenever he would injure himself playing outside Marcus would sit him down and give him a small treat to cheer him up from the pain. He was always there to help him as well as confide in him when he needed it. Being in London made him miss Marcus more. During the Seasons, Marcus would accompany him and his sisters. Marcus was the one to bear with his complaints without his sisters ever hearing a word he said. Not to mention he saved him from many decisions his sisters concocted that could potentially hurt his reputation.

_That's enough, Sebastian!_ he scolded himself. He may miss Marcus and, in extension, his former home, but that place was no longer his home. He had new people he (somewhat) cared about and he didn't want to lose that. He had Viola to worry about since she was his great-niece in a different time period. He glanced at her to see her rub her eyes, vaguely noticing nearby Sebastian was opening a door to another part of the house. She looked as if she were about to cry. Viola had it much worse than he did. She was completely separated from her family when he could see his family anytime if he wished. _Viola..._

He was about to ask her what the matter was when he stopped short, catching a glimpse of the room Sebastian opened. The room was the parlor room and was a complete mess. Books were thrown out of their shelves and vases overturned on the floor. And, the source of this mess fell on the three people within.

"Good heavens, where _do_ they keep the tea in this house?" asked a woman elegantly dressed in red. She was searching through the cabinets, throwing the contents aside. Bastian was appalled. Did this woman have no regard for the owner of the home?

"I don't see it anywhere," said an Asian man as he peered into a small vase.

The mess may have been a hassle, but the moment he glanced at Ciel and Sebastian to gauge their reactions he decided it was fine. Their flabbergasted expressions were, quite frankly, amusing.

"Madame Red? Lau? What are you doing here?" Ciel demanded, coming out of his shock.

The three inside the parlor turned at the sound of his voice. The woman smiled.

"Oh, you got here rather early. Since my lovely nephew is in London, how could I not come visit you while I'm here?" she said. Her eyes wandered over to Bastian and Viola. "Oh? And who are these handsome young men?"

Bastian glared at Viola's choice of clothing. She chose to wear his clothes for their trip into the city since they were "more comfortable and easier to relax in." She ignored his look and bowed.

"How do you do, my Lady? My name is Viola Dupree," she introduced in a slight English accent. "This is my brother, Bastian Dupree. We are new servants to the young master."

The woman, whom Bastian recognized as the illustrious Madame Red, looked rather surprised to learn Viola was, in fact, a woman (her voice was too high). Then, her gaze left Viola and began ignoring her. Bastian was relieved. Most nobles ignored servants. Unfortunately, he also ignored most servants in his own home. He could count on one hand the names of the servants he knew about, including Marcus. However, his relief was washed away the moment Madame Red turned her attention on him instead.

"Hm...You look rather familiar," she said, curiously. "Have we met before?"

Bastian quickly shook his head. Truth be told, he had seen Madame Red at a few parties in the past. She was quite the social butterfly. Lucinda spoke highly of her as the epitome of the latest fashion. He had to admit the woman was rather graceful and charming, unlike himself. But, the woman may have caught glimpses of him before.

"Are you certain? I swear I've seen you before."

"We had no idea guests were coming," Sebastian interjected with a polite smile. He stood in front of Bastian to cut off her gaze. "I apologize for not accommodating you earlier. I shall prepare tea for you immediately, so please wait momentarily."

Bastian and Viola were relieved as Sebastian ordered them to get to work. If Madame Red truly knew who Bastian was, they would be in trouble. The search from him was still fresh in many minds despite it being months since it began. Sebastian ordered Viola to tidy the room and Bastian quickly followed after him to head for the kitchen. Bastian made certain to memorize the layout of the house and the way to the kitchen. As this house was smaller than the Phantomhive manor it was easier to memorize the way. Once they reached the clean and organized kitchen, Sebastian quickly got to work to make the tea while telling Bastian to start making Ciel's dessert for that night. The two worked in silence with nothing but the various clinks and clanks of fine china and baking to supply the noise. Soon, the water in the pot whistled and Sebastian quickly carted out the tea set. Bastian was left alone to bake.

Bastian found baking to be quite relaxing. Going through the motions of measuring, stirring, and pouring put his mind at ease. He didn't have to think about anything else other than creating delicious perfection for others to enjoy. Because of Sebastian, he now knew several different techniques to make superb pastries that made those like Viola smile happily. He was so engrossed with baking the chocolate pecan cake for Ciel he barely noticed Viola entered the room and seated herself nearby until her voice spoke up.

"Hey, Sebastian?" Viola asked.

"Hm?" he hummed, mixing creamy frosting together. He vaguely noted she said his full name (as she normally does when they were completely alone).

"What are your sisters like?"

He paused and finally looked up at her curiously.

"Why do you wish to know?"

"Because...I was wondering if you ever miss your sisters."

"Is there another reason?" Viola would never ask a question like that out of the blue unless it had a reason.

Viola shrugged her shoulders, using a finger to glide across the wooden table she was seated at.

"Well, it's just when I saw this house I was reminded of my family," she admitted. "Did you know in the future this is where my mother and step family live?"

"Is that so?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah. My mom bought it after my grandfather died and left her enough money to buy a place where she could raise her children. We got it after she got married to my stepfather. I didn't know this was where Ciel lived until I saw the front of the house. My mom's got gardenias in the front than roses. She said white made the place a lot brighter and more welcoming."

Bastian's eyes softened. Viola spoke highly of her family. If this was truly her family home in the future, she must have been feeling homesick similar to himself. It was no wonder she would start asking questions about his family when before, during their time on the streets, they said nothing about it. She must have felt lonely.

"...My sisters are insufferable," Bastian sighed. He continued working as he spoke. "As you most likely know I have four older sisters. Rebecca is the oldest at the age of twenty-four and the most intelligent. Marlene and Christine are the type to gossip yet they are fiercely protective of what others say about our family. Alyssa is the one I am closest with since she is a year older than me and was the one who inspired me to begin baking. She was quite fond of sweets and was often the first to try my pastries. I am the baby of the family as well as the only boy. When I was younger they treated me like I was a doll they could dress up. They continued to do so up until the time I ran away. Then, they would force me to accompany them to meaningless balls and parties as well as ask me for advice on gentlemen. They are not married, but they all shared an interest in finding a wealthy husband."

"Yikes. So, Austen's books weren't kidding about the aspects of marriage during this age. She's an author from this time," Viola added, sensing his obvious confusion. "Most of her books' themes were about marriage whether it's based on love or social status. Like, 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' She mostly commented on the second. Your sisters seriously aren't married?"

"No. They are very fickle on what type of man they wish to marry."

"So, no love involved?"

"They desire a higher status in society. Love is not what they seek."

Viola suddenly laughed. "That's funny. One of your sisters is my great-great-grandmother and she had a son because of love. From what I was told, she married a servant of another family."

The spoon Bastian was using to stir the frosting fell onto the table with a clatter. He stared at her in disbelief. "Y-Your grandmother? One of my _sisters_ fell in love with a servant? That's absurd!"

"That's a true story. And I'm not telling you which of them is my grandmother."

"Oh, my. I cannot believe that. All of my sisters detest anyone below our family name. A _servant_? My father would die of shock if he found out about that."

Honestly, he could not believe it. For as long as he remembered his sisters were interested in finding a husband based on status rather than love. Rebecca, certainly, found the idea of love to be ridiculous. All of them agreed love was the downfall of one's reputation. How could one of them have fallen in love with a servant?

Life was certainly strange and unexpected. Who knows what could happen in their lifetime? Obviously, Viola knew. She wouldn't dare to tell him, though.

The door opened, interrupting his train of thought. The two looked up to see Sebastian there.

"The young master, the guests, and I shall be leaving for a visit to East End," he explained, pushing the tea cart inside. He stopped by the sink where he quickly began to clean the china. "The young master has asked me to tell you, Viola, to look for clues regarding a certain matter while we are away."

Viola quirked an eyebrow.

"What matter?" she asked.

"You are to learn more about someone named 'Jack the Ripper.' He is behind the murder in White chapel. While we are away, you are to begin questioning the residents for any information about the killer as you are more acquainted with the residents."

"Jack the Ripper?" Bastian asked. He knew of these murders. It was all over the newspaper. Some psychotic man was stalking through the streets of East End London to mutilate poor women. With the most recent victim four women were dead. With no identity of the perpetrator the news has started to refer to the killer as 'Jack the Ripper.' That did not sound like a pleasant name. Viola seemed to share the same sentiments because her eyes suddenly grew wide with worry.

"Was he the guy that murdered a prostitute?"

"Yes, that would be him." He finished cleaning the china. Wiping his hands on a dish towel, he started towards the door. "We shall be leaving now. I suggest you begin your investigation immediately in time to prepare the young master's dinner."

"Yes, Mr. Sebastian," Bastian and Viola chimed as Sebastian exited the room. Viola suddenly groaned, covering her head with her hands.

"Oh, _God_. I can't believe Ciel is getting involved with this unsolved mystery of all things," she said with a distressful sigh.

"Unsolved mystery?" Bastian asked. He put away the frosting into the icebox for later use and quickly covered the cake batter. He would finish baking it when they got back from their investigation.

"Yeah. It's one of the strangest unsolved murders in this city's history. Some guy decided to murder prostitutes by cutting out their uterus'." Bastian cringed at her terminology. This was not a topic normally discussed. While he was uncomfortable with using such terms, Viola used them as if they were every day words. "There were five murders in all, each as gruesome as they can get. The murderer was never convicted. It's terrible. I wonder why Ciel is involved with this case? If Scotland Yard can't solved it, I doubt he could."

"That is what we are to find out." Although, Bastian had an idea of why he was involved. And it all had to do with the letter, which brought them here in the first place. If this case was too much for even Scotland Yard, this case was more distressing than it initially appeared.

"Great! Let's find out the finer details of this case because I actually want to know if we can catch the murderer!" Viola jumped up from her seat and almost skipped happily to the door.

"Viola!" Bastian called. She stilled, turning to him in confusion. He cleared his throat, staring pointedly at her garments. "I would appreciate it if you dressed more...suitable for our venture to East End."

She groaned. "Bastian! C'mon, do I have to?"

"Ms. Nina gave you clothes to wear and I would prefer you wear them as a proper lady should. Now, go get dressed."

"GOD! You're like my mother!" She started to whine even as she stomped out the door to change into a suitable attire for a young lady.

Bastian sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead. Being with Viola was like raising a child. He hoped to the heavens when/if he had a daughter she would be a refined young lady who did not go prancing around to waddle in filth. Because, he already had enough of raising a young great-niece who was his age yet acted like a child. He certainly hoped his prayers would be answered in the future.

"How the hell do you put this on?!"

Then again, perhaps not.

* * *

Xxx

* * *

"Viola, why are we here again?" Bastian questioned as he followed her through the semi-familiar back streets of East End London.

"I told you we're getting information. Since the murder happened around here, we might get some clues no stuffy noble can find," Viola answered as she weaved her way through the streets with familiarity.

It felt strange how they were back here in East End after only a few short weeks of working for Lord Ciel Phantomhive. The nitty, gritty grime and the revolting smell of waste were all too familiar despite the time spend away from this place. Yet, in their clean and well-fitting clothes the two were so out of place in his dark and more sinister part of London. Bastian knew Ciel as the Aristocrat of Evil along with many other well-to-do families, who watched over the Underworld of London some rarely saw. Yet, he was certain the small Earl would not know of the inhabitants or the very crimes committed in these streets. Bastian couldn't count the number of times he has stumbled upon a dead and bare body or the amount of people lying in the streets starving to death. It was all a ghastly sight and one he never wanted to see again. His experience here was enough to last him a lifetime.

They headed for the White chapel area where the murders were said to have taken place. On their way there they saw many people walking through the street in the same direction as them or walking away from it. All of them carried whispers about the bloody murder that had occurred and the name "Jack the Ripper" on their lips in a mix of wonder and horror.

"How horrible. Why would anyone kill another living being? Even one with an occupation as that poor woman," Bastian said, disgusted. The very thought of murder appalled him. Now, he was not unknown to the evils of killing another person. Most of his life consisted of it. Yet, he would never willingly kill someone for fun like this ruthless serial killer. That had to be completely mad to commit such a thing.

"Why do people ignore kids on the streets?" Viola shot back, glancing at a group of frightened women. By their state of their risque clothes, they were of the same occupation as the murdered woman. "It's life. People are born and die every day. Humans are greedy and self-centered bastards. All of us have issues."

"Still...It is not right. People shouldn't have the right to take another's life for the mere jest of it. It's not their decision to choose who lives and who dies."

"Bastian, please stop. We're not going into religion right now. I'm not even Christian."

He gasped, alarmed. What did she say?

"You're not? Surely, your mother baptized you."

"Hell, no! Because of this thing on my chest, my mom was afraid they'd try to drown me. Both of my parents agreed to keep me away from those cross-worshiping fanatics. I don't believe in that kind of thing, anyway." She paused to give him a dark look over her shoulder. Bastian shivered at the very sight of it. Many men who tried to harass Viola in the past lost the ability to produce children after seeing such a look. "Tell anyone about that and I'll make your life a living hell."

Bastian quickly nodded, eyes wide in fear. He would never get on the wrong side of his great-niece. She made good on her promises.

Placated, Viola continued on down the street as Bastian hesitantly followed. They walked down the street in silence mostly due to the fact Viola was looking around at the faces surrounding them. A crowd had gathered at the entrance of a smaller archway leading into the backstreets. Bastian knew she was looking for someone in particular. Or some_ones_ in particular. They would normally be around this area...

"If it ain't Viola!" exclaimed a small voice nearby.

By a dark corner in an alleyway, there were a few kids sitting on a crate. Their faces were grimy from months without a bath and their large mismatching clothes hiding their tiny, emaciated frames. One of them, a boy a few good years younger than Bastian and Viola with limp brown hair, was grinning at the both of them. Viola grinned back.

Bastian and Viola were familiar with this group of children after they tried to steal from them. Bastian had to admit he was embarrassed a small child could sneak up on him and steal Viola's bag full of food while neither of them were looking. They would have gotten away with it had the child not bumped into a trashcan. Viola managed to get back her things, but after seeing the child she ended up giving him food for him and his friends. Ever since, Viola has been fond of them. Bastian was not quite attached to them, but he did care for them.

"Hey, Charlie, Lou, Pearl, Ricky," Viola greeted, walking over to the small children. The kids stood up and rushed over to her, giving her a hug. Bastian tried not to wrinkle his nose at their dirty hands touching her clean clothes. He had to remind himself he was in their position a few months ago and they have been out on the streets longer than he ever has. The single girl of the group, a little girl named Pearl, gripped her dress in awe.

"Look a' this! 'is dress' clean! Sparklin' ev'n!" she exclaimed.

Lou, a small dirty blond-haired boy, snatched Bastian's hand. His dropped. "No' j'st th't! Look a' their clothes! No' a specka dirt nowhere!"

"So's it's true. You two's got picked up by a rich family," Charlie said, matter-of-factly. He jumped off the crate to stand in front of Viola. He eyed her up and down. "But, ya look like a boy in a dress! Ya sure you don't got boy bits down there?"

Viola rolled her eyes. "Good to see you, too. Charlie. I'm here on business."

"'Course you are. Still a thief, then? Who ya gonna nick?"

"Sorry. I'm not stealing anymore. I'm here for some info you might have."

Charlie was the child Viola always went to when she had trouble breaking into a few noble homes. Since he was much smaller, he could over hear things without getting into much trouble. Being a leader of a group of children, all of his payments had to be food, which Viola readily provided anyway. She could not stand by watching children starve on the streets. Unfortunately for his stomach, Bastian agreed with her sentiments. It was wrong for children to waste away on the harsh streets with no mother or father to speak of. They should not be wandering around wondering where their next meal was coming from. They should be off having fun, enjoying their childhood. So, he reluctantly allowed Viola to give their meager supply of food away to these children.

"On what?" Charlie asked, curiously.

She smirked. "Does the name 'Jack the Ripper' sound familiar to you?"

It was the sort of moment Bastian would read in novels where it seemed as if the world had shut off. Bastian was momentarily confused as he heard nothing but silence as soon as she uttered the name. He glanced around to see the street lively with activity and noise. It was the children who had gone silent, their mood shifting. They glanced at one another uncertainly. Charlie was the only one who didn't seem affected. From his eyes glinting with fright, he was.

"Why d'ya wan' ta know 'bout 'im?" he asked, suspiciously.

"That's personal. So, do you know anything about him? Anything _certain_ people wouldn't?"

"An' wha' if I do?"

"How about your usual payment?" Viola gestured to the wicker basket Bastian was clutching with one hand. It was full of sweets they bought on the way here. They both knew the children could not resist the temptation of sweets.

When Charlie shook his head they were surprised.

"No can do, Viola. Ev'n that's something' ya shouldn' know."

"But, we need the information!" Bastian exclaimed.

He shook his head, lips pressed in a firm line.

Viola stared at the children for a moment. Bastian couldn't understand why her eyes began to narrow at them until he took the time to notice. He noticed the way the children avoided eye contact with her in a different but familiar way. He recognized their anxiety in an instant. They were hiding something and they thought they were going to get in trouble with their elders. Bastian would often act like that when he and his sisters accidentally broke something when they were younger. Suddenly, she bent into a crouch to meet Charlie at eye-level.

"Charlie," she said, sternly. Bastian winced at that tone. Good heavens, she sounded a bit like his mother! Lifting her hand to his cheek, she moved his head to face her. His eyes remained fixated away from her. "Charlie, look at me."

Charlie reluctantly met her eyes.

"Something's bothering all of you. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothin's wrong," he said in a loud confident tone. It wavered the moment Viola narrowed her eyes further.

"Don't lie to me. Tell me."

Pearl suddenly burst into tears.

"Mary's gone! An' it's 'cause a Jack da Ripper!" she cried.

"Whatever do you mean?" Bastian asked, astonished by the sudden onslaught of tears.

Viola stood back up, looking towards the children once more. Bastian did the same and saw something peculiar. The group of children normally consisted of three boys and two girls. The other girl was a young lady named Mary. He just assumed her absence was due to her job to beg in a corner for food or money. There were some days where people would take pity on the poor soul and give her money or food.

"Mary saw who done it a' the last killin'," said Lou in a shaky voice. He hugged Pearl to comfort her. Yet, his own face was scrunched up as if he was going to cry as well. "She came back one nigh' all blubberin' and snot all over sayin' she saw Death 'imself take th' poor lady. We though' she went mad, so we didn' think nothin' of it. Next day she left sayin' she didn' wan' ta be on the streets no more with Death roamin' about."

"Mary left because she saw the murderer?" Viola exclaimed. She shared a look with Bastian to the side. This was a big clue Ciel could use to find the murderer! "Where did Mary go?"

"She lef' wit' some rich man. And good riddance!" Charlie growled, angrily. He pointed his nose up like a noble who looked down on the poor. Which was a majority of them. "She's the one who didn' like beggin'. Always sayin' she'd marry rich. We don' need her 'ere!"

"But, Charlie! That man wasn' gonna marry her! He's gonna do somethin' worse!" Ricky cried.

"Who was this man?" Viola asked.

"Some kinda fop wit' blond hair. He was a strange one. But, he's been visitin' us always tellin' Mary she was pretty. Strange thing is he kept comparin' her to a bird."

Bastian groaned. Oh, dear. That sounded all too familiar.

"Oh, my. I know who you are referring to."

"You do?" Viola asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yes, the Viscount of Druitt, Aliester Chambers." He shuddered as he said the name. He absolutely despised it as it brought back several memories he forced away. "He attempted to court one of my sisters, Alyssa, last season. He invited us to each of his balls he held. Alyssa thought about pursuing him. Luckily, my other sisters persuaded her not to due to the fact he kept comparing her to a swan. If not for that, I would have never known who you were talking about."

She gave him a strange look. "Okay...If he's a Viscount, why is it so bad he got Mary?"

"There's been a rumor tha' pretty girl on the streets are disappearin'," Ricky explained. "An' they're disappearin' after meetin' the fop. N'ver seen again."

Bastian had a bad feeling about that. He knew stories where young women disappeared off the streets at night because they were snatched away for...devious reasons. His mother used to warn his sisters to never wander around at night in fear they would spirited away.

"Pretty girls, huh?" Viola sighed. "Looks like we have no choice. We have to go to see this Viscount."

"What? Why?" Bastian asked, confused.

"We need Mary. She's seen who the murderer was. And since the Viscount guy has her we have to go to him."

"But, how?"

"I'll figure something out."

Viola nodded at the children and gestured to Bastian to give the children the sweets. They were excited when he lifted the handkerchief covering the sweets and thanked them profusely, their earlier fear vanishing quickly. Warmth filled Bastian's heart knowing they were doing a good deed for someone. He and Viola bid goodbye to the children and promised they would visit again. They made their way out of White chapel and back towards the Phantomhive townhouse.

* * *

xxx

* * *

By the time they returned by hansom, they entered to hear the telltale voices of people. It seemed everyone else had returned before them. Viola stepped towards the parlor room where the voices were coming from. She politely knocked on the door. After hearing a soft, "Come in," she entered the room. Bastian stayed behind as she entered the room. She left the door open a crack so he could hear as well. Although he didn't feel comfortable behind around Madame Red, who surely knew of his scandal by now, he wished to hear Viola's report and why their information was needed.

"I have returned, young master," he heard Viola say.

"Viola," Ciel greeted. "Have you any new information for me?"

"What? Is this maid of yours involved in the case as well?" Madame Red asked, perplexed.

"Of course. She may be my maid, but I hired her for certain...skills she retains. Well?"

"I have found someone who was a witness to one of the murders," stated Viola.

There was a moment of shocked silence. Bastian would not blame them. Such news was astonishing considering this was the fourth murder and there were no leads as of now.

"A witness? Impossible! No one has stepped forward to tell Scotland Yard!" Madame Red exclaimed.

"Yes, because I'm sure a young girl barely an adult would go to the Yard. They wouldn't believe a word she said considering she was in a right state not long after seeing the murderer."

Bastian frowned at her sarcasm. Honestly, did Viola not respect others? He really must teach that girl some manners, even if it killed him. No relative of HIS would speak as such to those higher up than her.

"So, this witness has seen the murderer, has she?" an accented voice pondered curiously. It must have been that Asian man, Lau. Bastian was not familiar with him, so he struggled to remember his name from when Ciel said it earlier. "I agree. Scotland Yard would hardly believe a word a distraught girl has said."

"How do you know she truly has seen the murderer?" Ciel questioned.

"She was crying about seeing Death himself take the life of the last victim," she answered in a calm tone. "If you're a street urchin who has seen every horror you can possibly see, then something like that while scared out of your mind is fact enough."

"Did she say what the murderer looked like?" Sebastian asked.

Viola coughed nervously. "Right...About that...Um, it turns out the witness disappeared the next morning after seeing the murder. She said she didn't want to be out on the streets with a killer on the loose. But, I know where we can find her. Would anyone happen to know an Aleister Chambers?"

"The Viscount of Druitt is already a suspect who we believe to be the murderer," Sebastian replied. Bastian blinked. Oh? How did they come to that conclusion? "He is the only one with medical experience and has no alibi the night of the murder. Do you believe he has also taken your witness in order to keep his identity a secret?"

"What? No, I don't think so. Mary, the witness, wouldn't be so stupid as to run to the murderer to get off the steets."

Viola quickly recounted Mary going to the Viscount, who promised to take care of her as well as the rumor of the disappearing girl. Hearing it once more made Bastian sick to his stomach. He already knew what the Viscount might have been doing to poor Mary and the other girls.

"So, she has gone to the Viscount for safety," Ciel summarized. There was a hint of frustration and curiosity in his voice. "But, if he is not the murderer, why would he need so many young girls?"

Bastain paused. He often forgot Ciel was only twelve years old. He hasn't certainly learned about _that_ harshness of life yet given his age. It amused him how naive and innocent he was considering the multiple evils he sees everyday.

"You'll know when you're older," Viola answered, amused as much as him.

"Still, we can't help but see Viscount Druitt as a suspect," Lau reminded them. "Perhaps we should go investigate him further? Those two crimes may be connected."

"Viscount Druitt, hm? As I recall he's been into black magic recently," Madame Red pondered.

"So these disappearances and prostitutes are the sacrifice of some sort of ritual?"

At the mention of a ritual and black magic Bastian began to feel uneasy. There were several things in his past surrounding those subjects. None of which were well-remembered fondly. In fact the very remembrance of them terrified him.

"Coincidentally, the Viscount of Druitt will be hosting a party today," Sebastian reported. "The Seasonal period will be ending soon. I believe tonight would be the best time to go and investigate."

Bastian saw the door opening slight. He backed away, thinking he was going to be caught for eavesdropping. The door stopped as a voice called out.

"Viola," Ciel said, stopping Viola from opening the door.

"Yes, young master?" she responded softly.

"You and Bastian shall accompany us to the party."

Bastian started. What? Why would on Earth should he go as well? He understood Viola, as she was skilled in blending in and going through homes quickly. But, why him? Especially considering it was going to be at a ball? Should he go he may be discovered and handed back to his family on a silver platter!

"Young master, are you sure? My brother..." Viola trailed off. Ciel was certain to know what she meant.

"Do not worry. We will...disguise him properly. Madame Red, would you assist in giving both of my servants proper apparel and disguises?" Ciel asked his aunt. His voice held an evil undertone that would surely mean Hell for him.

"Hm...Given her looks and certainly her brother's, I may have something," Madame Red replied. She suddenly squealed, shocking Bastian. From the sound of Viola squawking, something must have caught her off guard. "Let's see...She has the appropriate high cheekbones and her figure is quite slim. And we must simply do something about her hair. It has an attractive color...Blue might go well. Or perhaps purple?" She clapped excitedly. "Oh, my! I have the perfect dresses in mind for the both of them! They will simply look ravishing in them!"

_Dresses?_ Bastian paled. Oh, dear. Tonight was certainly going to be another one of his memories he would be locking away soon. There was no doubt he was going to die of embarrassment. At any mention of a dress he was sure to know it would lead to his moritfication.

This was going to be a _long_ ball.


	8. To Act like a Lady

Bastian would be lying if he said he didn't miss some aspects of nobility life.

The women dressed elegantly as they were swept down the ballroom floor to the flow of the orchestra's music. The ballroom they were in was brightly lit, causing everything else from the people to the clothing to shine radiantly. The merry atmosphere was a pleasant one welcomed in his stressful time. He found he quite enjoyed it despite how much he despised parties.

As well as wearing _this._

"Quit scowling! You don't look cute at all," Viola hissed beside him.

"I'm a _man._ I do not need to hear such comments."

"It's gonna happen when you're dressed like _that."_

Bastian scowled down at the dreaded attire he was forced into for the night. The attire was a purple and white formal gown with frills along the neckline and lace trimmings on the edge of the floor-length skirt. His short blond hair was hidden beneath a long wig of the same color and pulled into a bun. A few stray locks were curled to frame his face. His carefully _painte_ face.

He couldn't believe this was happening to him. _Him_! The heir to the Emrys house! In a _dress_. Considering his sisters often used him as a dress up doll, he was actually rather used to wearing a dress. But, never in public! The shame it would bring if it was discovered he wore dresses would be catastrophic to the Emrys family name. Although he broke away from the name, his pride as a man was on the line. He had Viola and Madame Red to thank for this.

After overhearing they were attending Viscount Druitt's party along with Ciel, he was worried. People were still looking for him for the reward his father places. With that on the line many wished to find him. He was worried he would be recognized. However, he feared what Madame Red had in terms of disguising both him and Viola more.

_I despise my life_, he thought bitterly. Women in his life loved to torture him, it seemed. First his sisters, then Ms. Hopkins. Now Madame Red? _Why do they always wish to place me in a dress? Do I not look like a man to them?_

The only good thing that came of this was knowing he was not alone in the cruel form of torture.

Bastain cast a glance to Ciel, who wore a frilly pink dress and matching hat perched a top his long wig. Madame Red was hugging him closely to her ample chest. She was cooing over him, calling him cute and adorable. His cheeks were red-mostly from embarrassment.

"Let go of me! Why do I have to be dressed like this?" Ciel asked, almost whining.

"Come now. It isn't so bad. Your male servant isn't complaining," Madame Red replied. She waved her fan over at the desolate Bastian.

"I am...rather used to this," he sighed, resigned. "That does not mean I enjoy it."

"Why should we?" Ciel agreed loudly.

"Oh, my, oh, my. A lady should not be shouting so loudly," Sebastian chided, fixing his glasses. Bastian couldn't help but envy the man at the moment. At least he was wearing trousers.

Viola nudged him in the ribs. "Quit it! At least you don't look like you usually do. People would recognize you if you were male."

"I am reluctant to agree with you." Another good reason why this disguise was useful. Again, it didn't mean he enjoyed it. "I suppose this does make things easier."

Madame Red giggled. Out of all of them she was the one enjoying this situation. "Right, you have to follow instructions. Now, to our roles! Lau is my lover, Ciel, Viola, and Basian are my nieces from the countryside, Sebastian is their tutor, and Grell can be as he is."

"And," Viola added with a grin, "Bastian's temporary name is Olivia while Ciel's is Cecila. Just in case we are asked for our names."

Bastian hit her with his fan and both of them glared at her.

"Don't name me again from that ridiculous play!" Bastian hissed.

"Don't change our names however you please!" Ciel chimed in.

"Aw, I thought it'd be appropriate. You can't take my name so I went for the next female. Isn't it cute?" she teased. His blush became more prominent, causing her grin to widen. "See? You make a cute girl, 'Livia."

"_Don't call me that_!"

"All jokng aside, there is a reason why you are dressed like that, dear," said Madame Red, her playfulness quickly evaporating. "To have your cover blown as Earl Phantomhive would be troublesome, no? Anyone who sees a one-eyed young boy with a dashingly handsome butler would know it's YOU. Isn't this the best solution?" She gestured to Ciel's dress.

"She's got a point. Well, not for the handsome butler part. No offense, Mr. Sebastian," Viola apologized to her superior. "Anyone would look at the eye patch and know which noble has one. It's not hard to tell."

"And, the Viscount's security is tight and he likes girls so you're perfect!"

Ciel was outraged about this whole thing as well as horrified. Bastian could relate. He didn't wish to be near Chambers at all dressed as he was.

Sebastian smiled. "Did young master not say so before? To 'use any means necessary' to investigate the Viscount?"

Bastian and Viola opened their fans to hold up to their faces to hide a smile. Ciel was eating his own words and he didn't appreciate it.

His smile did not waver as he held out a hand to the tree. "Then, shall we go, my ladies?"

Only one of the three mentioned smiled at him. And it certainly weren't the boys in dresses.

The group began to make their way around the ballroom. Bastian took in the mingling couples along with the gossiping girls twittering about Lord so-and-so and how handsome they were. He tuned it all out. Having sisters taught him how to ignore all their meaningless gossip in order to concentrate. He never saw the meaning of exchanging gossip. What did it matter who has the most suitors? Did that honestly matter other than to amuse the bored nobles who used their money so shamelessly? It made him glad he gave up that sort of life. Why, if he had to listen to his ex-fiance prattle on about a new dress she bout he would go mad! That was all she ever spoke about-her clothes and how she planned their wedding.

Bastian listened with half an ear to Ciel complain about how terrible his dress was and Viola grumbling about how much her feet were hurting. He mentally rolled his eyes. She was excited about wearing a ball gown, yet she despised her shoes? Goodness, it wasn't as if they were the worst thing in the world. A dress was normal for a young lady like herself as well as the heeled shoes. _Not_ boys who were perhaps too feminine. For heaven's _sake_! Did he remotely look like a woman?

_Then again, all the women in my life keep commenting on this_, he thought in disdain. What did he do to deserve this? _At least I only have to worry about Viola's comments. I can't imagine my sisters or Lucinda seeing me in such a state._

He spoke too soon.

No sooner did he think this he heard familiar voices converse not too far away.

"Oh, Christine! Isn't that man so handsome?"

"Him? Dearest Marlene, surely not? That man is not quite as handsome or wealthy as _that_ one."

"I digress, Alyssa dear. He seems rather plain."

"Yes, because we all know Rebecca wishes for a man swathed in mystery."

Bastian's whole body seized upon hearing the gaggle of girlish giggles. No...It couldn't be! Against his own wishes, he turned to where the giggles emitted. The world came to a stop when he saw a group of blonde haired women laughing amongst themselves. Four of them were rather young with the eldest in her mid-twenties. A woman with a rather dignified air shook her head at the girls with a fond smile. She herself looked rather young, but he knew she wasn't. His stomach dropped.

"V-V-Viola!" He squeaked, grabbing the forearm of his relative.

She turned from her amusement of watching Ciel and Sebastian run from a curly pig-tailed girl to Bastian. She frowned at his horrified expression.

"What's wrong? You look pale."

"M-My sisters..."

"What about them?"

"Th-They're here!"

"What?" Viola scanned the room until her eyes fell on the blonde-haired women. It was difficult to miss them as they were dressed rather elegantly and were quite handsome. Instead of being astonished and speechless, she smiled.

"Huh. I always wondered what my great-times-grandmother looked like. She's really pretty."

"Viola you do not understand. My sisters are HERE," Bastian emphasized. Why couldn't she understand how dangerous this situation was becoming?

"And? So what?"

"_So what_?" He pulled Viola closer so they would be over heard, even going as far as covering their faces with his fan. "My sisters and mother will recognize me! They've seen what I look like dressed as a girl with long hair!"

She giggled, which did not help him. "They dressed you that many times, huh? Your sisters must be bored."

"Viola! This is no laughing matter!"

"Calm down. I know it's not. Look, as long as we don't go near your sisters and mother, we'll be fine." Viola grabbed his wrist and led him away from them. Luckily, he didn't have to see them with his back turned to them. She began to search the faces around them. "Besides, I need your help finding this Viscount guy. You know what he looks like, yes?"

He nodded. Viola was right again. As long as he didn't venture near his family he would never be discovered. All he had to do was keep far, _far_ away from them.

The two searched the crow for the Viscount while looking for Ciel and Sebastian. They had disappeared amongst the crowd. In such a place it was best to stick together. Bastian knew to look for a groomed man who was 'too handsome to be human' as Alyssa once described the Viscount. Sweeping his eyes through the sea of faces, he eventually found him.

"I found the Viscount!" Bastian whispered, tugging at Viola's arm to stop her. He pointed to a lightly blond-haired man dressed finely speaking to another guest.

"Viscount Druitt is so handsome tonight," proclaimed a woman standing near them as she gossiped with her friend. "His light golden hair is like gold thread!"

"You know, he _is_ in a way handsome," Viola observed, tilting her head curiously. "If he wasn't a pervert who kidnaps young girls, I'd date him."

"Viola!" Bastian nudged her with his elbow. Oh, dear. Now Viola was becoming infatuated. What was this world coming to when all women could think about were good-looking men? Did all common sense fade when coming upon a handsome man?

"He's so young!" said Ciel, surprised. He emerged beside the two out of the crowd with Sebastian in tow. He eyed the Viscount apprehensively. "We're going to have to greet him."

"Ciel, do you even know how to charm a man?" Viola asked.

"Only from what I learned today." He was referring to the emergency lessons on how to be a lady the three had to endure earlier.

Bastian clicked his tongue. "You do know there is more to being a lady than how to greet people?"

"Oh, I suppose you know? You know less than I do!" He retorted.

"Don't I?" He knew he was going to regret this for many nights to come. His pride as a man was going to die a brutal death on this very night. Bastian mentally bid his pride and dignity goodbye. "Viola, while I distract the Viscount begin looking for the girls."

Viola realized what he was trying to accomplish. Nodding, she slipped into the crowd with a blending skill she said she learned from a 'video game,' whatever that was.

Bastian swallowed and stepped towards the Viscount, steeling his nerves. He hid it behind a bright and, hopefully, charming smile.

"Good evening, my lord," he greeted in a high-pitched voice.

The Viscount turned around to see him. His lips curled into a smile befitting nobility with a blend of politeness and endearment. He bowed while Bastain gathered his skirts into a graceful curtsey.

"Good evening, my dear. May I know of the young lady gracing me with her presence?" He said in a silky voice. Had Bastian actually been female, he would have found his voice charming. He thanked the heavens he wasn't.

"Olivia Dupree, my lord. I am the niece of Auntie Angelina," he giggled, which eerily matched his sisters'.

"Madame Red? I had no idea she had such a beautiful niece," he said. He grabbed his hand to kiss his knuckles. Bastian resisted the shuddered threatening to crawl up his spine in disgust. When the Viscount released his hand he tried not to pull it to his chest to wipe his essence off her. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh, it is quite marvelous. This is the first time I have come to London, so everything is so enchanting. I have never seen anything like it where we live."

"Where is it you live?"

"The countryside. Mother and Father are quite protective of me and my sisters. Aunt Ann spent many years convincing them to let us visit London. Only recently have they allowed us and I am grateful for her to allow us to spend the Season with her."

"That is quite a surprise," the Viscount said in a matching tone. "From the way you interact, it does not seem like your first Season."

Bastian faked a laugh and hid his face behind his fan girlishly. He hid his lower face so his eyes appeared much more shy and enticing. "It pleases me to hear that, my lord. I hoped I had not embarrassed myself. Being here tonight, especially meeting the wonderful host, is something I shall never forget."

"And it pleases me to hear such praise. I fear your praise is not well-earned." Just as he said this the orchestra, who were playing in the background, swelled into a new song. "I know! A dance shall prove my worth. Shall we, my dear?"

"It would be my honor, my lord."

Bastian grabbed his offered hand and reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor. The Viscount offered a smile as he placed his arm around his waist and held his hand before sweeping him across the floor.

Dancing was not Bastian's strongest point. Yes, he knew how to dance but not rather well. It certainly did not help he was allowing another man to lead him. During their lessons earlier, both he and Ciel had to learn how to dance a woman's part while Viola led them. It was rather strange how Viola knew how to lead like a man while she gave tips on how to dance. Surprisingly, those tips were rather helpful.

He remained silent while they danced; mainly for the fact Bastian was trying not to step on any toes. Several times he had to resist the urge to look down at his feet.

"Is everything all right, my dear Olivia?" The Viscount asked, noticing his silence.

"Ah, forgive me, my lord. I am not the best at dancing," he replied in an almost shy tone. In truth dancing this close with another man of all people was making flustered. He was not enjoying this one bit.

"You seem to be doing well. If not, allow me to lead you through the music." He held onto him tighter. Bastain almost squeaked when he gripped his waist rather intimately.

_Must. Not Kill_, a voice that sounded oddly like Viola's hissed venomously in his head. Being touched by another man, disregarding whether he was a man _or_ a woman, was forbidden! It was disrespectful! No decent gentlemen would touch a lady in such a manner! It was no wonder his blood lust was rising. Acting forward on a lady was one of the most disgusting things he would never tolerate! _Calm yourself, Sebastian. You mustn't kill the Viscount...yet. You must endure such shame._

So, he swallowed his pride and giggled once more, acting as if he was happy with the entire thing. He was, in fact, not.

Six torturous minutes later, the song finally ended. The Viscount led him back to the side where those not dancing were gathered. Bastain was relieved it was over because the Viscount kept pressing himself closely to him. Shudders raced up and down his spine. Goodness, he felt unclean.

"Are you tired?" The Viscount asked him. He lifted a hand to his face, touching his cheek delicately. "You look rather lushed."

"No, I am fine," he replied, shying away from his touch. Turning his head to give the effect of being shy, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a girl kneeling on the floor. But, it was not a girl as he first thought when he noticed the shade of pink she wore. "Oh, dear! Cecilia!"

Bastain took hurried but dainty steps towards where Ciel was trying to catch his breath. He must have danced as well because Sebastian stood not to far from him.

"Cecila," he cried in mock concern. Ciel caught his breath and looked up to where Bastain was standing. His single eye widened at the Viscount behind him. "You mustn't tire yourself like that. What would we do if you had collapsed from forcing yourself to dance?"

"Forgive me, sister," said Ciel in a girlish tone. He was playing along to their act. He stood to his feet with the help of Sebastian. "But, I wanted to join in. It appeared rather fun and I simply couldn't resist."

"I shall fetch you something to drink," Sebastian said, quickly excusing himself. As he left he and Ciel shared a meaningful look. Ah, it appeared he was giving them the chance to question the Viscount.

"My, and who is this lovely little robin?" The Viscount asked in a pleasant tone. He reached down and pressed his lips against Ceil's gloved knuckles. Bastian didn't miss the grimace on his face.

"Ce-Cecilia, my lord." Ciel swept into a curtsey, but Bastian noticed his hand-the one that was kissed-moving behind his skirts. Unfortunately for them, the feeling of the kiss would never go away.

"I see...Are you enjoying yourself?"

He nodded. "I really am terribly impressed with this wonderful party, but I have wanted nothing more than to talk to the Viscount all this time."

"Oh?" He hummed in a slightly interested tone. Warning bells rang in Bastian's head. Oh, dear. He knew that sort of tone.

"I have grown tired of dancing and eating."

"We would love the company of my lord," Bastian said in a lower, sultry tone. Like Viola taught him (she forced him to learn certain ways to seduce a man. Ciel was not allowed to learn as he was still too young), he looked up at the Viscount with half-lidded eyes. He forced himself to grab the Viscount's arm and pressed himself against him. A half-smile graced his lips.

"My, do you long for pleasurable amusements?" He chuckled.

"Have you anything in mind?" Ciel asked in that innocent tone of his.

"Of course. Allow me to show you."

To Bastian's own horror, the Viscount leaned down to Ciel, grabbing his chin as if to kiss him.

"What sort of things?"

"Do you wish to know?"

"Ah, sister? Perhaps it is a bit too soon," Bastian said.

Ciel frowned, which looked as if he were pouting. "Sister, I am a proper lady. It would simply not do if you had the Viscount all to yourself."

"But, what would the Madame say?"

"Surely, you can keep a secret."

"Ladies, no need to fight," the Viscount said in a calming tone. "I shall entertain you both. What sort of host would I be if I could not please my guests?"

Bastian glanced out of the corner of his eye to Ciel, who caught it. Both of them shuddered. Goodness, this was degrading for them both. But, Ciel's eyes wandered further to the side. He tensed as if he saw something. What ever it was frightened him. The Viscount noticed as well.

"You seem to be worried about something," he observed.

"Ah? Oh, no. It's nothing." The scared look did not convince him.

Bastian turned his head in that direction to see what could have frightened him so. But, before he could see anything he found a large cabinet blocking his sight and a man in black crouched to the ground. It frightened many of the guests as the man appeared out of nowhere. He knew who the man was by the dark clothes. The man stood to his feet in one graceful movement. He faced the guests with a black mask covering the upper part of his face, but red eyes showed his identity.

_Sebastian?_

"Now that the party is at its height allow me to present to the ladies and gentlemen here an illusion that makes use of this closet," he stated dramatically. He pointed at Lau, who stood not too far away. "Sir, if you please. Would you be so kind as to lend a hand?"

"Me? Very well," Lau agreed.

"I do not recall requesting a conjurer," the Viscount muttered in confusion.

Both Bastian and Ciel silently gasped. This was their chance!

"My lord, I do not wish to see such tricks tonight," Bastian said.

"So, may we go? Please?" Ciel asked in the most adorable manner no man would ever say no. Even Bastian found it too cute.

"All right, my dear," the Viscount agreed immediately, forgetting the spectacle.

Still holding Bastian's arm, he led the two up the staircase to where a curtain was. He momentarily let Bastian go to sweep the curtain to the side to reveal a door. He opened it.

"Right this way."

Bastian took a deep breath. Whatever was behind this door was going to be the answer to this whole mess. And once they found out what it was as quickly as possible they could leave this dreadful party and forget it ever happened. He stepped past the door's threshold and into a hallway. It was faintly lit by the various lamps hanging around. Once Ciel stepped inside, the Viscount closed the door behind them and began to walk down the hallway.

The two followed almost uncertainly. Much cries and gasps emitted from behind them. It began to fade in sound the further they walked away. A faint applause echoed.

"The guests seem to be having fun in the hall," Ciel quietly said.

Bastian agreed. What were they doing there?

"You will have much more fun at the splendid place we're going to," the Viscount said. He stopped in front of a doorway and opened it. Stepping to the side, he allowed them to enter first. Without a second thought Bastian entered with Ciel closely behind him. But, he stopped the moment he smelled something sweet...TOO sweet. He was too engrossed in identifying it he never noticed the Viscount closed and locked the door.

"A splendid pl-"

Bastian never got to finish what he was saying. The room suddenly began to spin and the world grew fuzzy. His mind becoming foggy, he realized what was happening. Various times in the past he had experienced first hand the effects of passing out.

_Damn_. He held his head in his hand as he collapsed against the wall, sliding down it. He blinked various times to see Ciel had fallen as well and did not move. _When I wake I will kill Duritt personally!_

The last thing he saw was the Viscount hovering over him with a wicked smirk on his face.


	9. Traumatic Events

While Bastian and Ciel were distracting Chambers, Viola kept an eye out for an entrance to where the girls might be held. She pushed past several nobles and wealthy couples, politely excusing herself. She swerved her head this way and that to an exit that might lead to the rest of the house.

_Man, this party is extravagant,_ Viola thought, glancing at everything. The decorations were exquisite, the food was nearly irresistible, and the company was pleasant. She felt like she stepped into a Jane Austen book except this was real. Real and slightly annoying. _I really don't want to be here._

As much as Viola loved parties and the like, she despised high-end parties like this. They reminded her too much of her childhood and earlier teen years. Despite her mother being practically disowned from the Emrys line, she was still of noble birth. She taught Viola how to present herself at parties and such when it came to balls. Since she was younger, Samantha Emrys Sohma made her eldest daughter attend etiquette lessons and almost made her a debutante She was about to hold a ball for her on her eighteenth birthday when Viola put her foot down at the age of fifteen. She didn't want to be introduced into polite society acting like someone she wasn't. She didn't want to go meet some snobby rich guy and be married off to him. She wanted to fall in love with someone who liked her for her true self, not the girl she dressed up as. Samantha respected her wishes and stopped forcing her to go. Still, she expected those lessons to be used when she had to go to parties.

Viola never thought those lessons would come in handy until now. Unfortunately, it was proving rather useful. She knew how to walk, talk, and act like the noble she might have been. It was all very annoying.

She sighed, brushing a lock of her real hair out of her face. These parties were great and all, but they were pretty boring. All anyone did was talk and dance while sipping their glasses of champagne and wine. If she were at one of her school friends' parties, she would be drunk by now. God, what she wouldn't give for a nice bottle of beer. She didn't drink often. Parties were the only time she ever did. So, this ball was boring her to death and she would like nothing more than to pass out. The only highlight of that night was when she watched Sebastian nearly get skewered by swords.

_That was amazing_, Viola snickered. What she would give to actually do that to him. She wanted to get back at him for all the times he pushed her to do things perfectly at the manor. It was annoying! _Ah, well. Maybe next time._

If there was a next time.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to be think of revenge against her superior. She had a job to do. Lifting up her skirts, she was about to set off for the edges of the crowd towards the walls of the room when someone touched her elbow. Tilting her head, she found Madame Red standing there with a grin.

"Viola! How is the investigation going?" she asked in a casual tone.

"Good. Ciel and my brother are distracting the Viscount. I'm just looking around," Viola answered.

"Oh? Do you suppose you can spare some time for something?"

"And what's that?"

"Perhaps a bit of...chatting with some of the guests?" Before Viola could say anything, Madame Red grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her through the crowd. Viola tried to free herself, but the woman refused to let go. She had an iron grip! "An acquaintance of mine wishes to speak to you. Apparently, he saw you skulking around and wished to meet you."

"But, Madame Red! Is this really the time to be chatting people up?" Viola hissed as the Baroness weaved through the crowd with expertise and grace.

"You always have time for such pleasures. Besides, shouldn't you take a break from your search? We are at a party, after all," Madame Red replied.

"I know it's a party. But, I don't have time for this!"

"But, you must do this. Blending in is an important piece of infiltration, is it not? Introductions are necessary if you do not want to appear suspicious. Heaven knows what sort of gossip would be floating around about the mysterious, rude young niece of mine."

She opened her mouth to continue protesting. She wasn't her niece and this was a one-time thing! She was all for flirting with cute guys when able. However, she was in the middle of something. If Viola was on a job, she preferred to be serious about it. It was one of the few good traits her teachers said she had. When it came to schoolwork she was on task. She didn't have time to flirt with people when a young woman's life was at stake.

Her protest died on her lips the moment Madame Red stopped them in front of a teen. It was a boy almost her age with short, tidy blond hair and green eyes. Dressed in an impeccable black suit, Viola was striken speechless. Well, _hello_, handsome.

Madame Red grinned at her silence and gestured to the boy.

"Viola, this is Edward Midford, the son of the Marquis Midford as well as Ciel's cousin," she introduced. "Edward, this is Viola Dupree, a servant of Ciel's."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dupree," Edward said with a polite but friendly smile. It wasn't entirely forced, yet it appeared slightly disappointed. Most likely because he heard the word 'servant.'

"Um, yeah. An honor to meet you." Viola's breath caught in her lungs, unable to breath. She always got this way when she finds herself in front of a very attractive boy. She resisted the urge to find a mirror and double-check her appearance. Was her hair and make-up okay?

"So, Madame Red. You said she was Ciel's servant? Would he happen to be here? I doubt he would go out alone when he has certain...duties to accomplish."

"No!" Viola exclaimed before Madame Red could answer. Ciel would kill her if his cousin (which she didn't know he had. Why was he living alone?) knew he was here dressed like a girl. A very cute girl, at that. She flushed from her outburst and quickly corrected herself. "The young master thought it fit for me to attend in his place. He is not fond of parties or social gatherings."

He nodded. "Ah, yes. I should have known. He's not the type to socialize. His behavior often makes me wonder how he is to be Lizzy's fiance."

"You know he wasn't always like this, Edward. Ciel is my darling nephew no matter who he is or how he acts," said Madame Red, fondly. She sounded forlorn as she spoke. Then, she brightened. "Speaking of which, would Lizzy happen to be here as well?"

As soon as that name was said, there was a high girlish voice calling out to Edward. Out from the crowd of lavish gowns a brightly dressed young girl with her blonde hair in pig-tails came running up to Edward. She was smiling brightly.

"Brother, I just saw the cutest girl in an exquisite dress. It's such a shame I was not able to talk to her. I wonder what Ciel would say if he saw me wearing that sort of thing. Oh, I wish he was here," the girl sighed. She soon noticed Madame Red. "Oh! Aunt Ann! I didn't know you were here as well."

"Hello, Lizzy. Are you enjoying the party?"

The girl nodded. "Very much so! I only wish Ciel were here to enjoy it as well. He never seems to go out much..."

She trailed off upon seeing Viola next to Madame Red. Viola didn't like it when her eyes lit up.

"Oh, my!" she squealed. "Your dress is ever so lovely! You look simply radiant in it!"

"Um, thank you?" Viola wasn't sure how to respond to this girl. She was even bubblier than her, and that was an achievement unto itself! "May I ask your name? My name is Viola Dupree."

"I'm Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, but you may call me Lizzy," she replied, cheerfully as she curtsied.

"Hang on. You're Ciel's fiance?" She remembered Edward lamenting why his sister had to marry Ciel. It almost made her laugh how such a bubbly girl would be that cynical and sarcastic brat's wife.

"Yes, I am. Do you know Ciel?"

"Yes. I'm a servant of his on an errand."

"An errand? What sort of-Oh." A look of understanding crossed her face. She nodded. "I see. Of course."

Viola was confused for a moment. She wasn't sure if Elizabeth knew about Ciel's other work. After all, not many twelve year olds would be involved in that sort of thing. By the sad, worried but understanding expression, she knew exactly what Ciel did. Now Viola felt a bit awkward.

She cleared her throat. "Um, Madame Red? I think I should be getting back to work."

"That simply wouldn't do! Edward wishes to enjoy your company," Madame Red chided. "It would be terribly rude of you to not at least chat with him for a bit."

"I'm not here to hold conversations! A girl's life is on the line here!"

"It's all right, Madame," Edward interrupted before the two could begin arguing. He sent a charming smile at Viola. "It seems Ms. Dupree has something important to attend to if her errand is on Ciel's orders. I wouldn't want to keep her from doing her job."

Viola flushed at his smile. She always had a weak spot for guys with smiles that lit up like the sun. Especially when it was aimed at her. Her pulse quickened when he took her hand to brush his lips against her knuckles.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Dupree. I hope we can see more of one another in the future." He let go of her hand and turned to his sister. "Lizzy, would you like to get some cake?"

"Yes!" Lizzy curtsied to Viola. "It was nice meeting you, Viola! Tell Ciel hello for me and I miss him terribly."

"Yes. Right," Viola muttered. She was still shell shocked from the kiss on her hand.

With one last friendly smile the two siblings made their way off towards the refreshment table.

Madame Red glanced at her. Her smile suddenly became a grin like a Cheshire Cat. "My, you have quite the taste in men."

"Wh-What makes you say that?" Viola asked, almost dreamily.

She giggled and hid her grin behind her fan.

"You're as red as a tomato."

She blinked. Raising a hand to her face, she realized it was burning hot. At first she thought it was because the room was stuffy from the collection of body heat but it wasn't. She was initially cold and now her face was uncomfortably hot. Her eyes widened. It only ever became that way when she met someone she was especially attracted to. It didn't help when Edward kissed her hand. She had a REALLY big weakness for gentlemen.

"Oh. So it is," she said lamely. She unfurled her fan and began to wave it in front of her. "Strange. When did that happen?"

"I believe it happened when you met Edward's eyes." Madame Red sighed. "Oh, how I miss my youth. I long for my first season when everything was bright and the men sought for my approval."

"You're not that old."

"Thank you, dear. But, really, you seem quite taken with Edward. He is quite attractive. And he comes from a well off family."

Viola gave her a blank look, displeased with the scheming twinkle in the Madame's eye. She wasn't stupid. From all the Victorian novels she read,_ Pride and Prejudice_ in particular, she knew what the woman was trying to do.

"I should probably mention right now there's no way me and Edward can get together," she stated pointedly. "His mother would kill me if he tried to court a servant."

"Oh, I know. But, I had to indulge in dear Edward's wishes," Madame Red said casually. She snapped her fan shut with the flick of her wrist. "Who am I to deny a young man's interest in a beautiful girl? Especially the future brother-in-law of my dear nephew?"

_Oh...Ew! Ew!_ a part of Viola suddenly screeched in realization. It hurt her like a lightning bolt to a rod. Ciel and Elizabeth were cousins! And they were going to legitimately get married! One of the many things she hated before the 1900s. No one cared about the downsides of incest. _Okay, gross! Gross!_

The very thought of it left a bad taste in her mouth. Sure, there were moments when she simply adored anime pairings that were incestuous (a guilty pleasure of her's. It was even worse if they were both men), but in real life...No. Just no.

"I'm going to go get some fresh air," Viola announced. The room suddenly became stifling.

Without waiting for Madame Red's approval, she quickly began to make her way towards the doors to the side leading to a balcony. She hitched up her skirts as she hurried, breathing heavily. When did the room suddenly feel like a furnace? Why did she feel dizzy? She almost made it to the doors when her shoulder bumped into someone as she passed. Her fan slid from her grasp and clattered to the floor.

"Damn it!" Viola cursed quietly. Being in a corset (tied to its loosest. She refused to have her organs rearranged!), it was difficult for her to bend down at the waist. Not because it hurt to do so, which it did, but because the damned garment didn't have the ability to. Why couldn't it bend!? She tried doing so and couldn't do so without wincing at the small pain of her spine meeting the bones of the corset. "Freakin' corsets! I'm never wearing one again!"

She paused her cursing when she noticed a white gloved hand snatched up her fan. It was held in front of her.

"Forgive me. I wasn't looking where I was going," said a soft, gentle tone.

Viola straightened up to look at her person she supposedly bumped into. A shock of electricity ran down her spine when she met Emrys green eyes. With wavy blonde hair tied in a bun Viola realized she was looking at one of Bastian's sisters-one of her ancestors. She was giving her a familiar smile, yet the moment she met Viola's eyes painted lips slackened.

"Oh, my-Brother?! Sebastian, darling, is that you?" she gasped, her other hand raising to her mouth in shock.

_Oh, crap!_

Oh, no...This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all! Viola told Bastian not to worry about his sisters because she doubted they would run into one another. She thought it would be easy to avoid them. She didn't account running into them herself! She wanted to hit her head repeatedly against a wall.

_This is why I don't like flirting on the job! I get distracted and start slipping up!_

Curse Madame Red for introducing her to Edward! Attractive guys were her one weakness! Show her a handsome boy and her mind has a one-way ticket to boy heaven! She barely paid attention, thinking about the guy she met and how cool or handsome he looked. Now look where it got her!

"Sorry! You have me mistaken for someone else!" Viola squeaked. "Pardon me!"

She snatched her fan out of her grasp and quickly made her escape from her, desperately ignoring the cries for her to halt. Shoving her way past many of the party goers (earning many exclamations about how rude she was), she ducked her head amongst the crowd.

"You there! Please, wait!" cried the same girl. Viola looked over her shoulder to see the girl was following her, excusing her actions as she, too, made her way through the crowd. "Please, wait! I want to speak with you!"

This really wasn't good. She needed to lose that girl fast. She quickly scanned around for an escape route when her eyes landed on the door near the dance floor. There! Viola blindly made her way around the dance floor and towards the nearest door in sight. When she managed to reach it she opened it slightly, squeezed herself through, and closed it firmly behind her. Her back rested against it. For a few moments she waited in case the girl followed her. When it was clear there was no one on the other side of the door she slumped in relief.

"Thank Lady Luck," she sighed. That was a close one. Viola had no idea what Bastian would say if he found out she ran into his sister. Especially when they got a good look at her face. What would happen if his sister ended up telling her family about this encounter? The search party dwindled in the last few weeks here in London. Now it would double in effort now that they certainly knew he resided in the city! She hit the back of her head against the wood. "Bastian's gonna kill me. Why wasn't I more careful?"

She blamed this entire thing on Madame Red. As much as she liked meeting Edward, who was pretty cute, she didn't like where this situation was going. It's been a few months since she flirted with a boy as openly as she did with Edward, so her mind wasn't working properly anymore. That's the whole reason she's been distracted. When was the last time she went on a date? She repeatedly smacked her cheek with her closed fan.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ugh! I'm never dating again if I'm acting like this!_

Viola shook her head. She could punish herself later for her stupidity and boy-crazy mind. She had to make up for it. Specifically with this job. Mary's life hung in the balance. She couldn't think about boys from here on out!

With her thoughts clearing she finally decided to scan her surroundings. It seemed the door she entered led to a hallway within the mansion. It was dark with little to no fire lit in the flowered lamps hanging on the walls. Squinting into the darkness, she could just make out the outlines of multiple doors lining both sides of the hall. A shudder racked her body.

Viola still wasn't used to walking around large homes on her own. Inside the Phantomhive manor she normally walked with someone else to make her way during the night. Her fellow servants noticed her habit, especially during urgent orders from Sebastian, and questioned her. She told them about her embarrassing fear. Everyone but Bastian and Sebastian understood and tried to help her with it. Bastian called her childish for having such a fear while Sebastian called her incompetent and foolish. She wasn't sure which one hurt more. From then on, the other four servants would walk with her through the manor in the dark.

She almost wanted to cry. It was probably best to check each of these rooms for some sign of the Viscount's evil deeds. But, she was so scared to move through the dark on her own. Her heart was already racing with adrenaline because of her stupid, irrational fear. What she wanted to do was go back out the door and try looking elsewhere. But, should she go back out the door her ancestor would catch and interrogate her. Glancing between the door behind her and the hallway stretching into oblivion, she gulped.

_Darn it! I don't want to do this!_ she cried mentally.

Viola hesitantly stepped further down the hallway.

She began to walk through the darkness. She kept herself close to the walls in order to ensure she was still awake and not in her incredibly scary nightmare with nothing but _pink eyes staring at her hungrily_-She banished that image to the back of her mind. Her hands were shaking violently already from the very thought of it. She tried hard not to think about it, but the image kept returning to the forefront of her mind. It didn't help she wandered so far down the hallway she couldn't hear the party anymore. Now, all she could hear was the clicking of her heels against the floor and her own breathing.

_Fine your happy place, Viola. Find your happy place._ Viola desperately tried to think of the one thing that normally made her happy when she was forced to wander through the dark. A smile. Not just any smile. But, the smile from her childhood filled with nothing but love and affection for her.

It was a small memory from her childhood just after an incident occurred. She couldn't remember, but someone gave her a smile that made her feel comfortable, safe, and, overall, loved. It was impossible for her to conjure the face of the person after so many years. The smile, on the other hand, was unforgettable. It was a smile reserved for her. That was her happy place and it definitely helped. Even now, she could feel herself calming down.

It ended when there was a sudden slam very close to her. Viola unconsciously shrieked in terror. Her knees gave way as she curled up into a ball, her hands covering her ears. Oh, God! Why didn't she bring a candle or something? She was freaking out so badly! Oh, where was Bastian when she needed him? She'd even have Sebastian with her despite how much she disliked him. She just didn't want to be alone in the dark!

Something touched her shoulder. She screamed again.

"No! No! Please, leave me alone! I don't wanna be eaten!"

"Milady? Are you well?" said a rather charming voice.

Viola snapped open her eyes. She hadn't realized she squeezed them shut. Blinking, she looked over her shoulder to see someone behind her. Judging by the trousers, it was a man. Her gaze climbed upward where light shone and finally stopped at the man's face.

It was the Viscount of Druitt!

He held a candle in one hand while the other was touching her shoulder. His incredibly handsome face was crinkled in slight concern. For some reason he also seemed surprised.

"Excuse me, my lady? Whatever are you doing here?" he asked.

Viola blinked up at him for a moment in confusion, then gasped.

"A-Ah! Lord Chambers!" she exclaimed in her best English accent. She straightened back up, ignoring the corset's edges digging into her skin. An embarrassed smile curled her lips. "F-Forgive me! I-I was looking for somewhere to get some fresh air!"

"Oh? How odd. Surely, the balcony from the ballroom would have sufficed?" he asked. He sounded suspicious, causing Viola to panic.

"T-That's true, but I wanted to be alone. I began to feel awfully dizzy and it would be rather embarrassing if I fainted in front of everyone." She gave a nervous laugh. It was true she felt dizzy around all those people. But, she couldn't help but feel her lie was so weak Chambers was certain to see through it.

To her relief he didn't. His concern deepened. He moved his gloved hand to her forehead, leaning in closely to her face. Automatically, her cheeks went hot.

"Hm...It does appear you are unwell. Perhaps it would be best if you lied down for a spell? It would be quite embarrassing if it were me who fainted." To her utter horror he chuckled in amusement. Her flush deepened.

"Yes. Quite."

"Then, you may rest in one of my rooms. I will take you there myself."

"N-No! I wouldn't want to trouble my host!" Viola didn't want Chambers to take her anywhere. She still needed to search the rooms for some sign of the girls he kidnapped. How was she supposed to do that when he stayed around her? This was starting to become the worst case scenario. Her stomach dropped when Chambers shook his head.

"No, it would be rude of me if I did not see to one of my guests' health. Also, you may get lost," he insisted. He pulled out that charming smile once more. "Please, milady. Allow me to help you."

Viola took a moment to debate her options. On one hand if she accepted, she wouldn't be able to find evidence in peace. On the other if she refused Chambers would get suspicious. Who wouldn't when one of his guests wandered around his home? It was clear what she had to do.

"Thank you, my Lord," Viola thanked. She took the noble's offered arm and unconsciously pressed herself against him, her anchor to sanity.

Chambers led her through the hallway to some unknown destination. Viola didn't pay much attention to where they were going as long as it was out of the dark. She was still trying to recover from her small breakdown as well. She was finding her happy place once more, giving a serene smile, when Chambers broke the silence.

"Pardon my asking, but are you related to Ms. Olivia Dupree?" he asked, curiously.

"Hm? Oh, yes. She's my sister. My twin, in fact," she answered, distracted.

"Ah, I see. I couldn't help but think you resembled her in every shape and form."

"Yes. We're identical twins, although our parents are still able to tell us apart."

"I believe I can see as well. While your sister is a lovely dove, you are a graceful sparrow," Chambers complimented offhandedly. "You are certainly more energetic while your sister is quite timid. Complete opposites yet you both compliment one another."

Viola resisted the urge to laugh in his face. Bastian wasn't kidding when he said the man compared women to birds. What was his issue?

"Thank you. Most don't like my energy. My parents prefer my sister's demeanor and say I should be more like her. Compared to my sister, I am not well-liked." She couldn't help but sound a bit bitter. It was true some people didn't like her energy. They thought she was annoying because of it. But, she hardly cared what other people thought as long as she was happy. Didn't her happiness count first and foremost?

"You may look like your sister, but that does not mean you are the same person. You are who you are."

"Thanks." Viola meant that as sincerely as she felt. Even though the man was potentially a pedophile and a scumbag who should be in jail, he certainly knew how to make her feel better about herself. Later on, she couldn't say the same for him when she kicks his butt for kidnapping girls.

Chambers soon came to a halt in front of a door. He let Viola go for a moment to open it for her. She entered the room and he followed behind her, closing the door. It turned out to be a guest room that resembled the ones she cleaned regularly in Ciel's manor. It was dark with the exception of the single candle burning in Chamber's grasp. Everything looked well, but there was a strange scent in the air that made Viola cover her nose. She took great care to make it look like she was covering her mouth.

"Here we are. You may rest here until you feel better," he said, gesturing to the sofa in front of the fireplace.

"Yes. I'll do just that," Viola said. She stepped towards the sofa. Her eyes began to blink repeatedly as the room suddenly spun. Stumbling onto the sofa, she nearly collapsed onto it, resting on her side. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling very well. "I'm...ah...gonna cl'se m'eyes fer a...sec..."

Her eyelids slipped closed and she barely saw Chambers leaning over her with a diabolic smile before her mind went black.

* * *

xxx

* * *

_Viola wandered through the halls of the Phantomhive townhouse looking for Sebastian. Madame Red all but commanded her to find the butler to assist her in dressing Ciel. Apparently, he was being a brat about putting on the clothes. Only his butler could convince him to do anything. She wasn't certain where in the house he was. Last she heard during her own lessons, Sebastian was helping Bastian with something._

_She passed a set of double doors when there was a loud and sudden THUMP! from within. Pausing, she wondered what it was when she suddenly heard Bastian's voice._

_"Please! Mr. Sebastian, reconsider!"_

_"I think not. This is a part of your lessons and is required for your task. After all, most women have gone through this. Now, please relax and let me handle everything."_

_"N-No!"_

_"Lord Sebastian, it would best if you removed your shirt."_

_"No! You are not going to undress me! I am_ not_ going to do this!"_

_"It seems we will have to do this the hard way, then."_

_Viola was surprised when she heard something like a struggle take place before there was a definite ripping noise. To her horror Bastian began to cry._

_"No! Not my trousers as well! Please! Please stop!"_

_"Ah, how odd. This part of your body is quite different from the young master's. But, you are smaller than I expected. Will it be able to fit?"_

_"NO! _NO, STOP-NGH_!"_

_"Ah...Tight..."_

_Her face went white hot at the odd cries her uncle was making and the groans of Sebastian. No...They weren't, were they? Her mouth went dry as Bastian gave a loud groan and gasped._

_"Please! It hurts! I-I can't take it!"_

_"Relax your muscles! You are making this more difficult on yourself."_

_"It's-It's too much! I can't...hold it anymore!" Bastian sobbed, sounding like he was in immense pain._

_"Almost...there!"_

_Sebastian grunted and Bastian screamed before all went silent._

_Viola stared at the door with wide eyes, unsure of what she just heard. During the whole thing, her brain short-circuited at the images she formed just by listening. Part of her was horrified she just stood there letting_ that _happen __to her relative. On the other hand, she got some guilty pleasure from it as she enjoyed listening. God, she was such a sicko! How could she enjoy her relative's pain? He was probably scarred for life now!_

_While she chastised herself for enjoying something so horrible, voices emitted once more._

_"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sebastian asked, oddly satisfied._

_Bastian's response was a sob as she heard him sniffle and cry to himself. Gasps emitted from him, pained._

_"Now, now. I know it hurts. I promise it will feel better in time."_

_Viola heard footsteps approaching the door. She tensed and was about to run away. She barely took a step when the door opened._

_Sebastian stood at the doorway and looked down at her, slightly caught off-guard. She stared back, wide-eyed._

_"Viola? What is it you need?" he asked._

_"Ah, Madame Red, er, asked me to get you. She needs, um, help with Ciel. What were you and Bastian doing?" Viola stuttered._

_"I was assisting Lord Sebastian in his apparel." He stepped to the side to reveal the dressing room within. Viola peeked inside and blanched. Instead of seeing Bastian possibly nude, she saw him doubled over on an armchair. He was gripping a ripped shirt to his chest in order to cover his birthmark as he pressed his face against the chair, sobbing. But, wrapped around his bare chest was a pink laced corset. His trousers was also replaced by frilly pantaloons. "He protested quite adamantly against wearing the corset I had to use force. It seems he is not able to handle the pain well."_

_"That_-That's _what he was crying over? A _corset?!"

_"Yes. What do you think he was tearing up over?" Sebastian asked, slightly confused._

_She suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed for her thought process. Talk about mind in the gutter!_

_"Nothing! Nothing. That's what I thought it was."_

_Her cheeks kept their flaming heat as Sebastian stared at her for a moment. Then, he smirked devilishly and nodded._

_"Well, then. I will take my leave then to assist the young master. Please help Lord Sebastian with his preparations."_

_"Yes, Mr. Sebastian."_

_Nodding at her, Sebastian made his way down the hallway. Once she could no longer hear his footsteps, Viola stepped inside the room._

_"Geez. He shouldn't get a girl's hopes up like that," Viola muttered to herself. She made her way over to Bastian, who was still nearly curled into a ball. "Bastian? You okay?"_

_"V-Viola," he sobbed. His eyes, which were scrunched up in pain, opened to look up at her with a pitiful gaze. "It-It hurts. I can't breathe. How are women able to withstand this torture every day?"_

_"Well, we're able to withstand the pain our bodies bring every single month and considering childbirth, this is nothing." She eyed the corset critically. "Though, I have to say I don't like corsets. I like the way they look, but they're torture devices. You don't even want to know what they do to your organs."_

_"It hurts! It hurts!"_

_"I know." Viola patted his shoulder sympathetically. She knew it hurt. Going on her knees, she reached over to the tight lacings and loosened it. "Here. I'll loosen it for you. That way at least you'll be able to breathe."_

_"Thank-Thank you."_

_Bastian sniffled one more time before falling silent. Viola couldn't help but roll her eyes. Men. They couldn't even handle a bit of pain. This was why women were the ones to give birth, not them. They couldn't even take a simple corset without tearing up. How pathetic was that?_

_Still, she thought as loosened the strings, at least they weren't doing_ that_ instead. She shook her head, flushing once more.  
_

_Her own mind scared her sometimes._

* * *

xxx

* * *

Viola woke to the noise of loud voices speaking. Why was it so loud? Blinking her eyes open, she straightened up with a jolt when she couldn't see a thing. What in the...? She tried to raise her hands to touch her face, but then realized her wrists were bound with the familiar rough texture of rope. Her mind began to come up with the worst case scenario, which she was (unfortunately) used to:

She was a prisoner.

_GODDAMNIT!_ she shrieked mentally. Of course this would happen to her again! She let her guard down around that pretty boy Chambers! She knew he was evil, and yet she went ahead and did anyway! Curses left her mouth as she scolded herself for being so careless. After nearly a year of peace, she got herself kidnapped.

Oh, if only she could hit her head repeatedly against a wall.

The best Viola could manage was to bring her head to her hands. She was unable to even do that as her forehead connected to what felt like metal bars.

"OW!" she yelped, snapping her head back. Her forehead throbbed painfully. Great. Now she had a headache on top of being a prisoner. Things couldn't possibly get worse.

"Quiet, everyone," said an elegant male voice. With a jerk Viola realized it was Chambers. "We shall move onto the next item on our list. Feast your eyes on an exquisite beauty. They are a paired item with identical features. With hair as fine as gold and eyes as shining as an emerald, these lovely twins are sold for the price of one. Keep them as pets or sell off parts-they have more than enough to spare."

She noticed he used the word twins and her appearance. There was only one other who could match her. She finally noticed the body pressed behind her. So caught up in her panic, she never noticed.

"Bastian? Is that you?"

"Viola," Bastian greeted, bitterly. "This is a fine mess we're in, is it not?"

"Meh. Could be worse."

Viola tensed when she felt hands behind her head. They untied her blindfold. She flinched from the sudden light before her eyes adjusted. When they did she all but cursed.

They were sitting inside a cage placed on a stage in front of a crowd of men and wearing masks. Next to their cage Viscount Druitt stood nearby next to two other cages. She wasn't sure who could be in there, but she had a feeling it had to be Ciel if Bastian was behind her. Hopefully, the other cage had Mary in it.

"Human trafficking? You've got to be kidding me," Viola uttered in disbelief. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "The things I get into."

"Is this new?" Bastian asked. He was almost too casual about this as she was.

"Can't say I've ever been sold before. People usually want me dead."

"Now, the bidding starts at a thousand pounds," Chambers announced with a flourish.

"A thousand pounds? I'm worth more than _that!" _Viola exclaimed for everyone to hear. She shot a charming smile at the audience. "Really, I'm worth at least seven thousand. I'm great company-especially for young men who need a little...fun in their lives."

"Viola, what on Earth are you doing?" Bastian hissed. His hands clenched tightly just behind her own.

"Working." As she spoke, she handed him her knife she kept in her heeled boots. She was able to reach for it what with her legs bent on both sides of her. She glanced over her shoulder to his wide eyes and winked. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

He said nothing, silently taking the knife as discreetly as he could. No need considering Viola. She began to heckle the bidders as they shouted out prices.

"Oh, come on! Only two thousand-five hundred? My eyes sparkle finer than any jewel! Imagine how they would in different scenarios! Three thousand? Much better, but not good enough for _these_ ladies!" She fluttered her eyelashes, her lips curling in a seductive smile. When she spoke again it came out in a purr. "Think of how much entertainment I could provide."

Her attempts at being seductive worked. More bids, coming from mostly the men, rang out throughout the room.

"As much as I appreciate your advertising," Chambers said, his eyes glinting in annoyance behind his netted mask, "I do believe merchandise should not speak out of turn."

"You don't own me, Chambers. No one does," she shot back, her smile never leaving. If anything, it became more challenging. "Besides, how do you know I'm not defective? For all you know I might have spots all over my chest or an ugly boil on the sole of my foot."

"The only defect I see is your inability to stay silent. Of course, should someone buy you that problem will vanish with some surgery."

Viola almost flinched at the small threat. From what she knew, the man was a doctor. He knew enough medicinal practice to get rid of her vocal chords or render her permanently speechless. But, she didn't allow herself to be scared off. She leaned closer to the bars of the cage, chuckling low.

"Then, why don't you be the one to silence me? Humor me, dear Viscount. Give this poor unfortunate soul a good luck kiss before she wanders into hell."

"My, my! You are quite the naughty thing, aren't you, little sparrow? Where are your manners?" Chambers chuckled. Nonetheless, he began to make his way towards the cage. He stopped in front of the cage, reaching a hand inside to grab her cheek. He used that to bring her face towards his until they were nose-to-nose. "As you are a charming young lady, I should test my merchandise before you are sold."

"Yeah, I think you should." Viola finally felt the ropes around her wrists fall away. Lifting her free hand, she grabbed his wrist and wrenched his entire arm into the cage. Chambers gasped as his head hit the iron bars and he found himself staring into the green eyes suddenly filled with a fierce fire. Her smile twisted into a wicked smirk. "Don't use rope to tie up girls. It's neither sexy or comfortable. It just hurts."

Chambers jerked his arm, trying to pull away from her. Viola let him, but it wasn't until it was half way out she wrenched it back inside so his head hit the iron bars with enough force to knock him out. He slumped against the bars, falling to the ground in a heap. She was sure he wasn't dead. A sigh left her lips. Just another man who couldn't control her. She turned to the audience, who were stunned speechless, and gave them an innocent smile.

"I suggest you lot SCRAM!" she yelled.

There was a pregnant pause before they scattered. Chairs toppled over as the men and women alike scrambled towards the exits. There were several men, however, who began to make their way to the stage. Chambers' henchmen, by the looks of it.

During her little warning, Bastian quickly crawled over to the Viscount and reached a hand over to him. He rummaged through the man's pockets before procuring a ring of keys. Since he was closest to the door, he started to jam keys inside. By the time the men climbed steps of the stage, he managed to find the right one. The iron door opened with a creak.

"Got it!" he breathed in relief.

"Good job!" Viola praised. She quickly crawled out of the cage, springing up to her feet.

The first man reached her the moment she stood. He made a grab for her, but she sidestepped him. At the same time, she gripped at his outstretched arm with both of her hands and shifted her weight. She used his momentum against him as she, with much effort, threw him over her shoulder. The resulting choked gasp and the crack of bone against floor told her he hit the ground head first. She didn't have time to find out when the next man charged forward. She was about to make a grab for him, but the glint of steel out of the corner of her eyes gave her pause. The hesitation was enough for the man to thrust his dagger towards her ribs.

Viola was about to step back when Bastian came running over with a broken leg of chair. Just before the tip of the blade touched her, Bastian swung the hard wood over his head and down to bash into the man's unprotected skull. He toppled over, the dagger falling from his grip. It fell at Viola's feet with a clatter. Viola stared down at it before lifting wide eyes to her panting great-uncle. He looked back with concern.

"A-Are you alright?" he asked frantically.

"Yeah. Fine. Completely fine," she answered with awe. Suddenly, she was seeing Bastian in a new light. He didn't even look horrified he potentially killed a man. Judging by the dark blood dripping down the fallen man's head, it was more than likely he WAS dead. Instead, he was more worried about her safety. And here she thought he was a pansy. Maybe they were alike in more ways than she originally thought. If he shared the same birthmark, he must have gone what she had as well. She'll have to ask later.

Viola scanned the room. The other men ran off after seeing two girls kill their comrades. Cowards.

"Looks like everyone's gone," she observed.

"It seems so," Bastian agreed.

Turning on his heel, he walked over to the covered cages. He ripped the cloth off of one to reveal the girl inside. It contained Ciel, who was sitting there like it was his throne. It reminded Viola of a Vocaloid song considering he was sitting there much like the doll in the song. It was rather cute. Bastian put many keys into the lock until it opened. Then, he reached inside to remove Ciel's blindfold.

"I take it you disposed of the Viscount's men?" Ciel casually asked. After blinking for a moment, he cast a lazy eye towards the fallen men and the unconscious Chambers. "Ah, I see. So you ARE capable of handling yourself in a skirmish. You're not as incompetent as I originally thought."

"Did you ever doubt us?" Viola retorted.

"Yes," he said, bluntly. Ciel took Bastian's offered hand to stand up once he crawled out of the cage. He smoothed down the wrinkles in his dress, gazing around the room. He sneered down at Chambers. "Hmph. Such an unsavory man. Well, if he is to be behind bars, then the attacks should stop."

Viola didn't say a word, though she had a feeling he was wrong. She knew for a fact there was at least one more attack Jack the Ripper had considering there were only four victims so far. But, she couldn't say anything about it. She was from the future, after all, and not even the little Lord figured THAT fact out yet. Instead, she took the set of rings from Bastian and wandered over to the other covered cage. She ripped the black cloth off of it. The cage contained a girl about the age of fifteen with auburn hair falling in ringlets around her face. She lay curled on the floor of the cage, dressed in a finer dress than Viola's ever seen her in. With wrists tied together, Mary slept peacefully without a care.

"Jeez, this girl can sleep anywhere," she sighed.

"I take it that would be your witness?" Ciel asked, peering around Viola to see Mary.

"Yeah. This is Mary." Viola unlocked the cage, opening the door. She knelt down to shake the girl's shoulder. "Mary...Mary! C'mon, girl! Wake up!"

Mary grumbled in her sleep and rolled over, effectively shaking off Viola's hand. It was to be expected. Mary could sleep like a rock anywhere. Since she and the kids slept everywhere and anywhere in East End, she wasn't surprised. It didn't matter if she slept like a rock since she wasn't usually the one keeping during the night.

"For goodness' sake. This girl," she sighed, shaking her head.

"My, my." The trio of formerly captured prisoners turned to Sebastian's voice. He entered from the wings of the stage, casting an amused eye to the messy room and its occupants. He gave a thin amused smile. "You really possess no real talents other than to be captured, sir. You are lucky to have Viola and Lord Sebastian on hand. What were you to do should I not have arrived in time?"

"Oh, be quiet," Ciel muttered. He folded his arms in a huff with his head to the side. With the way he was acting he was like a real snooty princess. "Have you contacted Scotland Yard?"

"Yes, my Lord. They shall be arriving at any moment."

"Good! I wanna go home already. My feet are killing me," Viola whined. Her feet hurt from wearing these heeled shoes Madame Red bought. They were brand new and not broken in yet, so they've been hurting the soles of her feet for some time now.

"I would also like to put on some trousers," Bastian agreed, scowling down at his dress.

"Yes, I agree," Ciel chimed. He gave the same disgusted scowl.

"Indeed. Scotland Yard will not appreciate our presence. Especially with that appearance of your's, my _lady_," Sebastian said, silently snickering.

"I said that's enough of that!" Ciel growled back.

There was a sudden commotion behind them from out the door. From the sound of it, it was Scotland Yard. Ciel, Bastian, and Viola exchanged panicked looks. After their eyes met, Viola grabbed Bastian's hand and began to hurry into the wings.

"Mr. Sebastian, can you take Mary with you? Thank you, bye!" Viola hurriedly called over her shoulder. She didn't wait for a reply as she threw open the door hidden in the shadows of the wing and down the hallway. She didn't care to find out how Sebastian and Ciel were going to leave. She was worried about Bastian first and foremost considering his fragile situation with the Yard.

All Viola wanted to do was go home, get out of this dress, and go to sleep. Hopefully, this nightmare of a mess was going to fade into her memory soon enough. She tried not to show how much her hands were shaking from the experience of the night as she dragged Bastian back to the ballroom.

* * *

xxx

* * *

"Thank ya, Viola! Thank ya so much!" Mary practically sobbed as she hugged the rest of the kids.

"Yeah, yeah," Viola sighed. She rubbed her shortened locks hidden underneath her hat, looking up at dark sky. She was tired after the long day they've had.

It was the day after the disastrous party. They were standing in the alleyway of East End where Charlie's gang were gathered. After Mary awoke that morning inside Ciel's mansion, she was an emotional mess. She broke down as she explained how the Viscount was selling a lot of girls to become slaves of nobles within London and she feared she was going to be one of them. Viola did her best to console the girl, who kept saying she'd take Death over the life the Viscount was selling her to. She said she wanted to go back to the rest of the kids and here they were.

While Mary continued to hug and cry at her reunion with the kids, they finished thanking Viola and set off back to their alley to sleep. Bastian and Viola waited until they were gone from sight before they each slumped in relief.

"Goodness, what an exhausting day," Bastian sighed.

They began to make their way through the back streets of East End. They left Ciel's townhouse rather late, so there was barely anyone on the streets. Their footsteps echoing through the darkened and empty streets echoed all around them, though they didn't care. They were too tired to.

"I know. After last night, you'd think Sebastian would give us a break," Viola moaned. Despite the late hour they returned from the party, Sebastian forced them to wake up at their usual time to do the day's chores. Viola absolutely hated it because she wasn't able to sleep that night.

Their little experience at the party caused some of Viola's old nightmares to crop back up. After falling asleep, she awakened two hours later panting in her bed. One of her old nightmares, which involved a cross and fire, jolted her awake. She was so scared from the aftermath she lay in her bed, shivering violently until Sebastian came knocking at the door to get ready for the day. To say the least Viola was more than exhausted. She was dead on her feet!

She rubbed at her eyes. God, what she wouldn't give for some pills so she could get a proper night's sleep. Her Goddamn insomnia was getting the worst of her.

"I'm looking forward to a nice cup of tea once we get back," Bastian said, longing. He rubbed his arms through his coat. "It's so cold tonight. I have the feeling it may rain soon."

"Okay, that would suck. I'm _not_ getting caught in the rain. We still have to cross the entire city before we get back to the manor." It was one of the few times she cursed where her home was. God! Why did the townhouse have to be halfway across the city? She sneezed from the freezing air seeping through her clothes. Thank goodness she chose to wear trousers that day after the horrible party. Her breath fogged physically in front of her. "Do we have enough money to get a brougham or something?"

"No, the drivers do not come through these streets at this hour. We will simply need to make our way back on foot."

The two relatives frowned. They didn't like the prospect of trudging through the darkness on their own at this late hour. It was going to take forever to get back to the house! By then, they'd be frozen stiff!

Bastian and Viola walked through the back streets in silence. Neither of them were in the mood to talk, as Viola would normally do. This was the first time in a long time since she felt like this. It was to be expected. After normally traumatic events like getting kidnapped, she just detaches herself from the rest of the world for awhile. It lasts a few days before she returns to normal.

Viola would admit she would never get used to such events. After years of this happening to her, she got used to it happening. In fact she expected it. That didn't mean she _wanted_ it to happen. She hated it. She hated feeling like the next day may be her last, that her life was over, and was too helpless to do anything about it. Anyone who's heard of her past trauma might say she should just get over it or even feel sorry for her.

Well, she didn't want their pity! Was it her fault this always happened? Was it _her_ fault trouble always trailed after her like a lost puppy dog? No! No one should even say a word about it because they didn't know!

They didn't know her life! They didn't know _her_! How dare they try to empathize with her when they didn't know a single thing!

_Whoa! Calm down, Viola,_ she thought, stopping her rampaging thoughts. She was starting to lose it. Looking down at her suddenly clenched fists, she relaxed them with a sigh. _I haven't thought like that since I was eleven. That kidnapping yesterday really shook me up._

Viola wasn't an angry person. She may lose her temper, sure, but not like that. She hasn't been that angry with the world since she was a kid. Nowadays, she just gets depressed before she bounces right back. She wasn't feeling so good if she started to hate the world and everyone in it.

As if to physically match her mood, she felt something drop on her head. Looking up, she found droplets of water fall from the sky. It was starting to rain.

Bastian clicked his tongue.

"How unfortunate. Now we will catch our deaths before we reach home."

"Damn it! Could things get any worse?" Viola cursed, covering her head with her arms. Not that that did much.

"Oh, my! What are you two doing standing in this awful weather?"

The two started at the voice, which came from the side. Their gazes landed on a tall figure standing underneath a doorway with an overhanging balcony over it. From the few lit lanterns around them, they could see he was young and dressed much like a middle-classed working man. Glancing at his pale face, Viola blushed at the smile he gave them as he brushed a lock of his slick black hair. He was really handsome. Yet, she couldn't help but feel something was off about him...

"You shouldn't be walking around like that. Do you need shelter until the rain lets up?" he asked, his voice like velvet. Viola's knees nearly melted while an awful shudder ran up and down her spine. And not in a good way, mind you.

She glanced at Bastian out of the corner of her eye. He, too, appeared uncomfortable in the presence of this man. Why?

"Oh, no. We are fine," replied Bastian. "Our, ah, home is not very far. Thank you for your offer."

"No, no! I insist! Who knows what may happen to you at this late hour?"

"Really, it's fine. We need to be hurrying home now." Ignoring the rain drenching her, Viola grabbed Bastian's forearm. She dragged him to take hurried steps down the street past the man. She never glanced at him once as she passed.

This was a mistake.

The second she passed in front of the man, a hard grip wrapped around her wrist. Gasping in sudden pain, Viola unintentionally released her hold on Bastian and found herself slamming against a wall. Her back ached from the sudden impact and her wrist hurt as it, too, was forced against it beside her head. A hard body pressed on her, smothering her. She couldn't breathe.

"I was going to do this the easy way," the man chuckled above her. He nuzzled his nose on the top of her head where her hair peeked out and inhaled its scent, "but I don't think I can wait. Not when you smell so _divine_."

Viola forced her head away from the man's face. She craned her head up to yell at him but froze the moment she met his eyes. Her blood ran cold and her heart practically stopped. His eyes...

_His glowing red eyes..._


End file.
